TEMPE -- Championship season has arrived yet again for the Arizona State track and field program as they travel to Seattle, Wash. for the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships on Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15.
A goal for the program at every conference meet is to earn the two Territorial Cup points at stake, despite the series already being clinched by the Sun Devils this season. The women currently have a 10-point streak against the Wildcats while the men have won eight straight.
"Our first goal when we go to outdoor conference championship is always to get the Territorial Cup point," said Director of Track and Field Greg Kraft. "Even though it's already been secured for the 2015-16 academic year, you want to do your part and carry your fair share of the workload. We take a lot of pride that we took four of the points already, but it would be nice to have a sweep for the third-straight season. It will be a tall challenge."
Just two weeks ago, the Devils marched south to Tucson for the annual Duel in the Desert meet with Arizona, and ASU swept on both the men's and women's side. The dual has no effect on the Territorial Cup series and doesn't always translate into what occurs at the Pac-12 meet as other variables come into play.
"The dual meet is a little misleading," he said. "When you go to the conference meet and add all of those other fine programs, it's definitely a different challenge."
The conference features 10 men's teams and 12 women's teams, as Oregon State and Utah do not field a men's program. The ASU men rank 4th in the west region entering the Pac-12 meet while the women rank 8th.
"Obviously our goal each and every year is to be in the top three in our conference and aspire to be top-10 at the NCAA meet," said Kraft. "Typically if you are that quality of a team at the Pac-12 meet, it usually transfers that you're going to be that type of team at the NCAA Championships. That's what our goals always are."
WHO TO WATCH FOR:
- Jamol James, Isaiah Underwood & Reggie Lewis - Men's 100m Dash
- These three went 1-2-3 in the 60-meter dash at the conference indoor championships and currently hold three of the top six times in the conference.
- James, Underwood, Lewis and Brandon Hasson - Men's 4x100 Relay
- The fastest team in the conference currently based on personal bests as the four roll into Pac-12 Championships with a 39.55 -- just .06 seconds faster than Oregon. Put a star next to this event as a "must watch"!
- Tim White and Josh Dixon - Men's Triple Jump
- These two combine for arguably the best 1-2 punch in the conference and potentially the country. Dixon and White hold the top two marks in the conference in that order and will look to finish as so in Seattle. Let's hope White doesn't nearly jump out of the box again like his last visit at indoor championships.
- CJ Albertson - Men's 3,000-meter Steeplechase
- Albertson has been on a tear this season, moving into the top-10 in the ASU record books in both the steeplechase and mile run. He currently has the second-fastest time in the 3K steeplechase behind only Colorado's Connor Winter.
- Maggie Ewen - Women's Discus Throw, Hammer Throw & Shot Put
- Just call her the three-headed throwing machine. Ewen will compete in every throwing event other than the javelin and should be in the mix for the top spot in all of them. She currently holds the best throw in the hammer by nearly five meters and the second-best mark in the discus.
- Keyasia Tibbs - Women's Triple Jump
- Tibbs is having a record-breaking season, literally, as she has broken the ASU record in the triple jump in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. She holds the second-best mark in the event behind only California's Isabella Marten and by less than six inches.
WHERE TO WATCH/FOLLOW:
You can follow live results throughout the weekend here.
A tape-delayed broadcast of the 2016 Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks on Sunday, May 22 at 9 a.m. PT/10 a.m. MT.
Pac-12 Outdoor Championships Seattle, Wash. May 14-15, 2016Field Events
Men’s High Jump
Men’s Pole Vault
-Nathan Hiett, Matt Eckles, Dillon Groener
Women’s Pole Vault
-Haleigh Fritts, Vanessa Davis
Men’s Long Jump
Women’s Long Jump
-Keyasia Tibbs, Jasmine Gibbs, Jessica Barreira
Men’s Triple Jump
Women’s Triple Jump
-Keyasia Tibbs, Jessica Barreira, Darreyl Woodson
Men’s Shot Put
-Thomas Anderson, Ahmed Hassan, Kyle Long
Women’s Shot Put
-Maggie Ewen, Ashley Weber
Men’s Discus Throw
-Kyle Long, Quaid Vuncannon, Thomas Anderson, Ahmed Hassan
Women’s Discus Throw
-Maggie Ewen, Ginger Jarchow
Men’s Hammer Throw
Women’s Hammer Throw
-Maggie Ewen, Ginger Jarchow, Ashley Weber
Men’s Javelin Throw
Women’s Javelin Throw
-Jessica Barreira, Melanie Johnson, Alyssa Cornell
Men’s 100m Dash
-Isaiah Underwood, Reggie Lewis, Jamol James, Ben Trotter
Women’s 100m Dash
Men’s 200m Dash
-Reggie Lewis, Jamol James, Isaiah Underwood
Women’s 200m Dash
-LaTroya Franklin, Jasmine Gibbs
Men’s 400m Dash
-Herb Polk, Ronny Hall
Women’s 400m Dash
Women’s 800m Run
Men’s 1,500m Run
-Ryan Herson, Bernie Montoya, Cody Brazeal
Women’s 1,500m Run
-Jen Owen, Chelsey Totten, Madison Davis
Men’s 5000m Run
-CJ Albertson, Ryan Herson, Ryan Norton, John Reniewicki, Bernie Montoya, Cody Brazeal, JP Nelson, Daniel Wong
Women’s 5000m Run
-Chelsey Totten, Shaina Corbin, Madison Davis, Cristina Juan Torres, Jenna Maack, Adriana Olivas, Jen Owen
Men’s 10,000m Run
Women’s 10,000m Run
Women’s 100m Hurdles
Men’s 400m Hurdles
Women’s 400m Hurdles
Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase
-CJ Albertson, Daniel Wong, JP Nelson
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase
Men’s 4x100 Relay
-James, Underwood, Hasson, Lewis (Trotter)
Women’s 4x100 Relay
-Gibbs, Franklin, Irvin, Tibbs (Mosley)
Men’s 4x400 Relay
-Polk, Hall, Moore, Hasson (Wright, Underwood)
Women’s 4x400 Relay
-Irvin, Franklin, Mosley, Bulluck (Gibbs, Benoit-Bucher)