TEMPE, Ariz. -- With just over one week until the indoor track and field championship season begins, the Sun Devils send more than expected to Flagstaff for the NAU Tune-Up on Friday, Feb. 19.
While head coach Greg Kraft did not expect to be sending so many being so close to the MPSF Conference Championships, he figured using a competitive format serves as an advantage over a typical Friday practice.
"You're always looking for opportunities to move up the list, so we're taking a much larger group than originally anticipated," Kraft said. "When you come off back-to-back two-day meets you have a light work week. So having said that, it dovetails in that we can have a quality training session with the bonus of potentially getting a qualifying mark. We're trying to go up there and get additional reps."
Several Sun Devils all but clinched a spot at the NCAA Indoor Championships with marks this past weekend at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational.
Redshirt junior Tim White is one of those, as he currently holds the eighth-best triple jump in the country with a 16.15m (53-00.00) -- good enough for a new personal best. Despite his qualifying jump, he will aslo compete this weekend in Flagstaff to stay fresh.
Fellow teammates Josh Dixon and Keyasia Tibbs -- who sit No. 27 and No. 23 respectively in the triple jump -- will also compete, but with a twist.
"For some athletes, they're competing in an event that will help them -- for Keyasia, she's competing in the long jump and that helps her prepare for the triple jump by rehearsing the approach runs," Kraft said. "Josh has a chance to score but will go up there with different goals, coming from a short run, and if it goes well we can extend it out and go for a mark."
As for the throwers, all of them -- including Ahmed Hassan, Thomas Anderson, Kyle Long, Maggie Ewen, Ashley Weber and Ginger Jarchow -- will trek north for a chance to further improve. Ewen holds the 15th-best toss in the shot put and is just two feet shy of the top-16 in the weight throw.
"Coach Dumble gives all those shot putters a chance to move up," Kraft said. "We had a number of athletes that were close to having breakout performances, but due to the level of competition in Nebraska and Albuquerque, they didn't get their fourth, fifth or sixth jumps or throws. It gives them a little bit more of an opportunity to build through the competition and at least get a personal best by round five and six."
The conveniency and proximity of Flagstaff provides the perfect scenario for ASU. While the focus for many will be this coming weekend, it's hard not to have their minds on the conference meet just nine days away.
"We're fortunate to have the Skydome so close to us that we can go up there and it's really just a short bus ride for us, compete and come back down," Kraft said. "It's really the best practice we can have."
NAU Tune-Up Feb. 19 Flagstaff, Ariz. TRACK EVENTS Women's 60m Dash -Jasmine Gibbs Men's 60m Dash -Jamol James, Ben Trotter Women's 200m Dash -LaTroya Franklin, Sierra Irvin, Kendra Purifoye Men's 200m Dash -Brandon Hasson, Ronny Hall Women's 400m Run -Melese Crozier, Sierra Irvin, Kiera Bulluck, Courtnee Oglesby, Brooke Coltelli Men's 400m Run -Brandon Hasson, Ronny Hall, Richard Thiel Women's 800m Run -Madison Davis, Lauren Gavulic Men's 800m Run -Kyle Elliott, Ian Roberts Women's 1-Mile Run -Jenna Maack Men's 1-Mile Run -Nick Dale Women's 60m Hurdles -Sydney Mosley, Alexandra Williams, Kendra Purifoye Women's Pole Vault -Haleigh Fritts, Vanessa Davis, Kristiana Warth, Athena Masolini, Jenna Fitzgerald Men's Pole Vault -Matthew Eckles, Nathan Hiett, Jacob Flores, Dillon Groener Men's High Jump -Mason Ford, Reed Bussey Women's Long Jump -Keyasia Tibbs, Jessica Barreira Women's Triple Jump -Darreyl Woodson, Jessica Barreira Men's Triple Jump -Tim White, Josh Dixon FIELD EVENTS Women's Shot Put -Maggie Ewen, Ashley Weber Men's Shot Put -Thomas Anderson, Ahmed Hassan, Kyle Long Women's Weight Throw -Ashley Weber, Ginger Jarchow Men's Weight Throw -Kyle Long