COLLEGE STATION, Texas – On Friday, Sun Devil thrower Maggie Ewen will dawn the traditional gold uniform at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at Texas A&M's Gilliam Indoor Stadium on ESPN 3.
The redshirt junior is the only ASU track & field athlete to qualify for the indoor national championship – her second time in as many years – and will compete in both the shot put and the weight throw. The shot put will begin on Friday, March 10 at 4:15 p.m. MST, while the weight throw starts at 3:30 p.m. MST on Saturday, March 11.
"I just want her to throw with confidence," said throws coach Brian Blutreich. "I told her everyone starts at zero this weekend, so what everyone's done to this point doesn't matter anymore. Everyone starts the same, so she needs to build herself up and not put pressure on herself. It's a new deal for her in the weight throw, so if she can score in both events, that would be a success. I only expect bigger and better things in the outdoor season."
The top-16 marks in each throwing event qualified for the NCAA Championships, with Ewen obtaining the third-best shot put mark and the 12th-best in the weight throw this season.
In 2016, the St. Francis, Minnesota-native attended the indoor championships for her first indoor NCAA appearance, finishing 15th out of 16 competitors in the shot put. Three months later, she then qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put, discus and hammer throw, where she earned two First-Team All-American honors with top-eight finishes in the hammer and discus.
Despite being in just her third season, Ewen is no stranger to the bright lights and big stage, as she's qualified for the outdoor championships in all three seasons.
"The first time you go there, people have a hard time dealing with it," said Blutreich. "Like anything else, the more experience you get, the easier it becomes. That part she'll know what to expect, and she's thrown at Texas A&M before this season, so that's not a problem. It's just a matter of her finding confidence in herself with what we're trying to do."
In the shot put, only 2016 Olympic shot putter Raven Saunders – who finished 5th in Rio de Janeiro – and Kent State's Danniel Thomas have better marks than her this season. Ewen's best came at 18.12m (59-5.50) at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational. Saunders has two throws this season indoors that have eclipsed the 19-meter mark, which is just over three inches further than Ewen's.
In the weight throw, six inches is all that separates the 16th-best mark in the country and the best this season. Ole Miss' Janeah Stewart owns the top throw at 23.18m (76-0.75), with Ewen's best sitting at 21.53m (70-7.75), which she hit just two weeks ago at the conference meet.
Through five meets in the weight throw, Ewen has thrown a little bit further each outing, with improvements of six inches or more each week.
Both events will be streamed live on ESPN 3 and the Watch ESPN app.
The redshirt junior is the only ASU track & field athlete to qualify for the indoor national championship – her second time in as many years – and will compete in both the shot put and the weight throw. The shot put will begin on Friday, March 10 at 4:15 p.m. MST, while the weight throw starts at 3:30 p.m. MST on Saturday, March 11.
"I just want her to throw with confidence," said throws coach Brian Blutreich. "I told her everyone starts at zero this weekend, so what everyone's done to this point doesn't matter anymore. Everyone starts the same, so she needs to build herself up and not put pressure on herself. It's a new deal for her in the weight throw, so if she can score in both events, that would be a success. I only expect bigger and better things in the outdoor season."
The top-16 marks in each throwing event qualified for the NCAA Championships, with Ewen obtaining the third-best shot put mark and the 12th-best in the weight throw this season.
In 2016, the St. Francis, Minnesota-native attended the indoor championships for her first indoor NCAA appearance, finishing 15th out of 16 competitors in the shot put. Three months later, she then qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put, discus and hammer throw, where she earned two First-Team All-American honors with top-eight finishes in the hammer and discus.
Despite being in just her third season, Ewen is no stranger to the bright lights and big stage, as she's qualified for the outdoor championships in all three seasons.
"The first time you go there, people have a hard time dealing with it," said Blutreich. "Like anything else, the more experience you get, the easier it becomes. That part she'll know what to expect, and she's thrown at Texas A&M before this season, so that's not a problem. It's just a matter of her finding confidence in herself with what we're trying to do."
In the shot put, only 2016 Olympic shot putter Raven Saunders – who finished 5th in Rio de Janeiro – and Kent State's Danniel Thomas have better marks than her this season. Ewen's best came at 18.12m (59-5.50) at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational. Saunders has two throws this season indoors that have eclipsed the 19-meter mark, which is just over three inches further than Ewen's.
In the weight throw, six inches is all that separates the 16th-best mark in the country and the best this season. Ole Miss' Janeah Stewart owns the top throw at 23.18m (76-0.75), with Ewen's best sitting at 21.53m (70-7.75), which she hit just two weeks ago at the conference meet.
Through five meets in the weight throw, Ewen has thrown a little bit further each outing, with improvements of six inches or more each week.
Both events will be streamed live on ESPN 3 and the Watch ESPN app.