TEMPE, Ariz. -- Three Arizona State track and field athletes will not be spending the week preparing for the first outdoor meet of the season in Tempe, as they will travel to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Redshirt junior Tim White, redshirt sophomore Magdalyn Ewen and senior Jamol James will represent the Sun Devils this week at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
White punched his ticket to the dance in the triple jump nearly a month ago at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational with a mark of 16.15m (53-0.00). It ranks 11th in the country.
After transferring from College of the Canyons this year, White's qualifying jump becomes his first NCAA Championship appearance.
Sun Devil track and field head coach Greg Kraft, who trains the jumpers primarily, said despite White's recent ailments, he expects a strong finish from the first-time competitor.
"Tim has been bothered by a heel bruise injury that happened during the MPSF Indoor Championships," said Kraft. "Tim also was unable to practice this past weekend because he had a farily high fever. That being said, based on Tim's body of work this indoor season, my expectation is for a top-eight scoring finish."
Alongside White in the field events will be Ewen, who will compete in the women's shot put.
Ewen had a different route to getting to nationals, as she qualified on one of her very last throws at the MPSF Indoor Championships in Seattle just two weeks ago. Her fifth throw eclipsed 55 feet for a mark of 16.85m (55-3.50) and a new best for Ewen -- which also qualified at 14th in the country.
Like White, this Ewen's first NCAA Indoor Championship appearance, but not her first in general as she made the championship in outdoor season her freshman year.
"(Maggie) is very excited to be competing this weekend," said throwing coach David Dumble. "Since she made the outdoor championships her freshman year, she is a little more prepared and confident. It was that experience last June tha thelped her realize that she is very talented and can compete at the highest level of Division I track and field.
"With little pressure on her to protect her place going into the meet, I think she has the right mindset to relax, throw well and upset quite a few girls. It would be a great accomplishment for Maggie to make it to the finals (top nine), and then hopefully compete for an All-American position (top eight)."
For James, this will also be his first indoor championship appearance and first individual championship appearance of his college career. In 2012, James qualified for the outdoor championships but as part of Tennessee's 4x100 relay.
James snuck into the meet just this week due to a medical scratch. His 60-meter dash time of 6.65 seconds sat in 17th place -- just one spot out of the qualifying 16 -- and the scratch moved him into the final spot.
Friday will begin competition for only James, as he competes in the 60-meter prelims consisting of two heats. James will run in the first heat beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. MT with the two fastest in each heat and the next four-fastest times also making the final on Saturday.
White will start jumping at 3:30 p.m. CT/2:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, with the 60-meter finals starting at 4:45 p.m. CT/3:45 p.m. MT. The women's shot put will then begin at 5 p.m. CT/4 p.m. MT.
Coverage can be viewed on ESPN3 on both days.