TEMPE, Ariz. -The Arizona State University track and field teams will send five seniors to compete at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas, on Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Shelby Houlihan and Bryan McBride will both compete in two events, while Brianna Tate, Devan Spann, and Cameron Taylor will compete in one event.
Houlihan is set to run in both the mile and 3000m, McBride will compete in the high jump and long jump, while Tate will run in the 400m dash, Spann in the 200m dash, and Taylor in the 60m hurdles.
Live results will be available on NCAA.com, while ESPN3 will broadcast the running events on both Friday and Saturday. Follow along with updates from the Sun Devils on Twitter by following @SunDevilTFXC.
EVENT BREAKDOWN
NCAA Indoor Championships (All times CT)
The first events for the Sun Devils will begin at 6 p.m. with Bryan McBride in the field competing in the trials and finals of the long jump, while Shelby Houlihan will run in the semifinals for the mile at the same time. The mile finals are set for 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Cameron Taylor will then run in the semifinals of the 60m hurdles at 6:30 p.m., with the finals set for 6:20 p.m. on Saturday.
Brianna Tate will run in the semifinals of the 400m dash at 6:55 p.m., and the finals are set for 6:40 p.m. on Saturday.
Devan Spann will run in the semifinals of the 200m dash at 8:15 p.m., with the finals set for 7:50 on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, McBride will compete in the high jump finals at 3:30 p.m., while Houlihan will also run in the 3000m run finals at 8 p.m.
TOP-16 MARKS
Athletes with top-16 marks or times in the nation qualified for the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships, and ASU finished the indoor slate with five qualifiers.
Devan Spann ran the No. 16 time in the 200m at the Don Kirby Elite meet at aa 20.89 on Feb. 13.
In the 400m dash, Brianna Tate ran 52.68 at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 27, the No. 14 time in the country.
In the mile, Shelby Houlihan ran a school record 4:30.77 in the 2015 Wanamaker Mile at the 108th NYRR Millrose Games on Feb. 14, the No. 2 time in the nation. Houlihan ran the current No. 8 time in the nation in the 3000m as she set a school record in 9:03.71 at the Texas A&M Quadrangular on Jan. 24.
Cameron Taylor ran a personal best 7.73 at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 27, finishing the indoor slate with the No. 6 time in the nation.
In the high jump, Bryan McBride tied his indoor PR, which is also ASU’s school record at 2.26m (7-5.00) at the MPSF Track and Field Championships on Feb. 27, which sits at No. 4 in the nation. In the long jump, McBride set a personal best at 7.79m (25-6.25) at the same meet, finishing the indoor season at No. 10 in the nation.
HOULIHAN TO MAKE MILE/3000M DOUBLE
For the second straight year, Shelby Houlihan will be doubling in the mile and the 3000m races at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The only other competitor in the field who is running in both races is Erin Teschuk from North Dakota State, who qualified in the mile at 4:32.09 and the 3000m with a time of 9:02.40.
Last season, Houlihan was the only competitor to run both the mile and the 3000m races.
AT THE 2014 NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Last season, three Sun Devils earned All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships: Shelby Houlihan (mile), Ryan Milus (60m), and Anna Jelmini (shot put).
Houlihan finished third in the mile at 4:39.52, and also earned second-team All-America honors as she finished 14th in the 3000m at 9:39.07.
Milus ran a personal best in the 60m finals at 6.57, finishing his Sun Devil indoor career as the NCAA runner-up.
Jelmini threw 16.82m (55-2.75) for seventh in the shot put finals, then her seventh career All-America accolade.
ASU’S INDOOR NCAA CHAMPIONS
The last time ASU had an NCAA Indoor Champion was in 2013 when Jordan Clarke defended his shot put title. Six of ASU’s eight men’s indoor titles have come from the throws.
Clarke won shot put titles in both 2012 and 2013, while Ryan Whiting won the 2008, 2009, and 2010 shot put titles. Jason Lewis won the weight throw in 2009.
On the track, ASU’s indoor titles came from Mason McHenry, who won the 800m in 2012 and Kyle Alcorn who won the 3000m in 2008.
The ASU women, who amassed a total of 11 titles, haven’t had an NCAA Indoor Champion since Jacquelyn Johnson won the Pentathlon title in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
In 1981, ASU won the first women’s indoor title when Coleen Rienstra claimed the high jump crown with a clearance of 1.91m (6-3.25).
Maciel Malone won three straight 400m dash titles in 1990, 1991, and 1992, while Lynda Tolbert won the discontinued 55m hurdles event in 1990. Also in 1991, the team of Malone, Toinette Holmes, Dana Jones, and Shanequa Campbell won the 4x400m relay title.
In 2006, Johnson ended the 14-year indoor title drought, along with Amy Hastings, who won the 5000m run as well. In 2007, Sarah Stevens also claimed the shot put title.
LAST TIME OUT
ASU swept third and earned a pair of Territorial Cup Series points as competition wrapped on Feb. 28 at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor.
The ASU men earned 70 points, while the women earned 69.33, and the Sun Devils each earned a Territorial Cup Series point over Pac-12 rival Arizona as the Wildcat women finished seventh and the men finished ninth. ASU now leads in the series, 6.5-3.5. USC won the women’s team title with 111 points while Oregon claimed the men’s with 95 points.
Five Sun Devils won event titles on Saturday, each earning 10 team points: senior Brianna Tate (400m dash), senior Shelby Houlihan (800m run), sophomore Keyasia Tibbs (triple jump), senior Cameron Taylor (60m hurdles), and redshirt senior Bryan McBride (high jump).
McBride led the way for ASU, combining for 25 points on the weekend.
Tate set a new personal best as she ran 52.68, which remains No. 3 in the school indoor record book, while Houlihan ran 2:04.95 in her race, which is just off her indoor personal best and school record of 2:04.94, which she ran in 2013. Also for the women’s winners, Tibbs jumped the winning distance of 12.47m on her first attempt.
For the men, Taylor ran under 7.80 in the hurdles for the first time in his career, finishing at 7.73, which remains at No. 2 in the record book and just behind Tony Galaviz’s (2002) school record time of 7.71 (altitude adjusted).
McBride tied his indoor PR, which is also a school record, as he cleared 2.26m (7-5.00), and also made tries at 2.31m, which would be a new best for both indoor and outdoor competition. Additionally, McBride placed fourth in the triple jump with a personal best 15.38m (50-5.50), which remains at No. 10 in the indoor record book and earned five team points.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Sun Devils will open the 2015 outdoor season next week, hosting the first of four home meets at Sun Angel Stadium, the Baldy Castillo Invitational on Friday and Saturday, March 20-21.
INDOOR RECORD BOOK UPDATES
As the season continues and the Sun Devils set records and personal bests, the ASU indoor record book has seen numbers changes in both the men’s and the women’s top-10 lists.
At the Texas A&M Quadrangular, Shelby Houlihan broke her own school record in the 3000m by nearly two seconds as she finished at 9:03.71, Houlihan followed by bettering her record in the mile as she ran 4:30.77 at the 2015 Millrose Games.
Adriana Olivas’ Texas A&M Quadrangular 3000m time of 9:32.93 is good for the new No. 10 in the record book, while Kendra Purifoye’s 60m hurdles time of 8.83 from the same meets sits in a tie for No. 10 with Lauren Rose’s 2013 mark.
Brianna Tate’s PR in the 400m dash of 52.68 from the MPSF Indoor Championships remains at No. 3 in the record book behind Maciel Malone’s 1991 record of 51.05 and Toinette Holmes’ 1990 time of 52.48.
The DMR team of Chelsey Totten, Melese Crozier, Paisley Pettway, and Houlihan clocked in at 11:20.80 at the MPSF Indoor Championships, the new No. 4 time in the ASU record book.
In the shot put, Alex Hartig’s Texas A&M Quadrangular mark of 15.56m (51-0.75) is the new No. 8 in the record book.
Keyasia Tibss’ broke ASU’s 15-year old school record in the triple jump with her personal best of 12.56m (41-2.50), surpassing Valerie Williams’ mark of 12.51m (41-0.50).
In the women’s pole vault, Haleigh Fritts’ personal best of 4.02m (13-2.25) from the Don Kirby Invite is the new No. 5 mark, while Nicole Kennedy’s mark of 3.88m (12-8.75) is now No. 8 in the top-10.
Magdalyn Ewen moved to No. 6 in the weight throw record with her throw of 19.92m (65-4.25) and No. 6 in the shot with her mark of 16.08m (52-9.25). Ashley Weber’s personal best in the weight at 18.67m (61-3.00) is the new No. 8 mark, while Alex Hartig sits at No. 9 in the shot put at 15.58m (51-1.50)
Devan Spann’s PR in the 60m dash of 6.66 sits at No. 5, while his 200m dash time of aa 20.89 is the new No. 2 mark in the record book, just behind Domenik Peterson’s 20.43 from 2005.
Cameron Taylor’s PR of 7.73 in the 60m hurdles remains at No. 2 in the record behind Tony Galaviz’s (2002) time of aa 7.71.
In the triple jump, Josh Dixon moved to No. 7 with his mark of 15.70m (51-6.25).
Bryan McBride jumped to No. 5 in the long jump with his PR of 7.79m (25-6.25) at the MPSF meet, and remains at No. 10 in the triple jump with his mark of 15.38m (50-5.50). McBride also tied his indoor PR in the high jump at 2.26m (7-5.00), which remains the school record.
Thomas Anderson’s PR in the shot put of 18.97m (62-3.00) moves to No. 7, while Ahmed Hassan’s mark of 18.53m (60-9.50) is the new No. 9 mark, and Kyle Lillie’s throw of 18.49m (60-8.00) is the new No. 10 mark.
Lillie’s weight throw mark of 18.80m (61-8.25) is also now No. 7 in the top-10. Ryan Leslie’s weight throw personal best of 18.80m (61-8.25) places him in a tie with Lillie’s mark.
Edmond Baker’s indoor PR in the high jump at 2.11m (6-11.00) has moved him to the No. 8 mark, tied with Wayne Bradley (‘72) and Casey Clark (‘02).
In the men’s pole vault, Tanner Greeley’s PR of 5.05m (16-6.75) sits in a tie for No. 10 with Joe Fazio (2010), Sean Pierce (2005), and Stephen Dolk (2005).
SUN DEVILS TO HOST FOUR HOME MEETS IN 2015
ASU will host four meets at Sun Angel Stadium in 2015, opening the outdoor portion of the schedule with the Baldy Castillo Invitational on March 20-21.
The Sun Devils will also debut the new Arizona State Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Invitational, where ASU will host Arizona UCLA, Indiana, Michigan, and Nebraska, in a meet that will be scored by team and by league affiliation.
April 9-11 will mark the running of the 36th Sun Angel Track Classic, and then the Sun Devils will close out the home slate on May 2 with the Duel in the Desert against the Pac-12 rival Wildcats.
“At the meets we’re hosting, there will be traditional powers, like Texas A&M, who will run at our meets, and we will also be having a Pac-12/Big Ten challenge, where UCLA and Arizona will pair up with us as we go against Michigan, Nebraska and Indiana,” Kraft said. “The Sun Angel Classic continues to grow and be refined and will be an outstanding event for us.”
Complete 2015 Home Schedule:
March 20-21: Baldy Castillo Invitational
March 27-28: ASU Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Invitational
April 9-11: 36th Sun Angel Track Classic
May 2: Duel In the Desert - Arizona vs. Arizona State
The 2015 Pac-12 Outdoor Championships are set for back-to-back weekends on May 9-10 and May 16-17. UCLA will host the meet at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. Athletes who qualify for the NCAA West Regional will travel to Austin, Texas, on May 28-30, with hopes to qualify for the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, June 10-13, in Eugene, Ore.
ASU TO COMPETE AT 2015 DRAKE RELAYS
On April 23-25, the Sun Devils will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete at the 106th Drake Relays, presented by Hy-Vee at Drake Stadium.
“The Drake Relays has really tried to do a lot of unique things for the sport of track and field,” Kraft said. “They have asked us to come for years and this year we agreed to go back and participate in the relays and be a part of the team challenge there. Obviously, Shelby Houlihan is very excited because that’s where her first great races were, winning the Iowa State Championship at Drake Stadium. It really is a neat situation for us to go back and do something a little different from a relay standpoint but also to try and support our sport of track and field as we continually fight to carve a niche and try to make ourselves a little more fan friendly and a little more TV friendly. As the stature of our program increases, we have to be sensitive to the overall needs of our program from an exposure standpoint.”
ASU’S 2014 NCAA CHAMPIONS-HOULIHAN & MCBRIDE
The Arizona State track and field squads added to its streak of producing at least one NCAA Champion since the 2006 season, adding two more in 2014 with Shelby Houlihan becoming ASU’s first-ever 1500m champion and Bryan McBride winning ASU’s first title in the high jump since Kyle Arney won the event in 1977. Houlihan won her race in 4:18.10, while McBride set a new lifetime best with a clearance of 2.28m (7-05.75), which sits as the No. 2 mark in school history.