Feature by Craig Morgan
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State men's 4x100 meter relay team has some fast shoes to fill.
Last season, the Sun Devils foursome of Ben Trotter, Isaiah Underwood, Brandon Hasson and Reggie Lewis captured the Pac-12 title in Seattle, and the group made the final heat (with a healthy Jamol James running the lead leg in place of Trotter) at the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon to earn All-America status.
Hasson, a sophomore, is the only member of the group who returned this season, but that has not dampened assistant coach Ronnie Williams' expectations.
"Everybody was trying to figure out how we could duplicate the success we had being Pac-12 champions and NCAA All-Americans and then you lose three guys," said Williams, who coaches sprints, hurdles and relays on the men's side. "But we've had some veterans step up as well as some newcomers and I think this group has outstanding potential."
That potential was on display March 17-18 at the Baldy Castillo Invitational at Sun Angel Stadium. Hasson, junior Drelan Bramwell, senior Herb Polk and junior Ronny Hall clocked a 39.84 in the relay. By comparison, last season's relay team ran a 39.26 in the qualifying round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships and a 39.90 for eighth place in the final. They ran a 39.54 for a Husky Track record to win Pac-12s.
"Coach always tells us what we can do but when we do that so early we know the potential is even greater now," Hall said. "There are always going to be little tweaks here and there but we wanted to be sub 40 and try to build off that. To hit that on our first try and not have to worry about it any more? Now we can set even higher goals and I could see us right back at NCAAs, just like the team before us and having even more confidence."
Last season's relay team was a tightly knit bunch, but this year's group has taken it to another level. Bramwell, Hasson and Polk are roommates, so they have a bond that extends well beyond the track.
"Coming from home to the track feels no different," Polk said. "You just bring the family and the fun to the track with you. It's a great experience."
All four of the relay team members met each other somewhere along the way, whether in high school or junior college meets, but Bramwell said the bond has grown stronger at ASU.
"We get along great because we're all aggressive, we all set our goals at the start of the year and we'll do everything we can to accomplish them," he said. "We move as a team wherever we go and that makes it easier once we get on the track to keep that chemistry."
As last season's injury to James in the Pac-12 prelims proved, every relay team needs at least five or six members to survive a season. The 4x100 has an intriguing member waiting in the wings in redshirt freshman Paul Lucas, a Phoenix Mountain Pointe High School product that transferred to ASU from Oregon State.
Lucas won the 100 and 400 dashes his junior season at Mountain Pointe, but did not compete his senior season. Lucas figures to start competing in the outdoor season soon after Williams hones his technique, but the timing of Lucas' readiness does not concern his coach.
"I've been in this particular situation a lot and knowing his extreme ability as an athlete, I'm anxious to see how he can fit into the mix," Williams said. "I did this in 2014 where I changed the relay in the NCAA first round and everybody was like 'whoa!' It was planned, though. You always need extra guys to be a successful relay and it just comes down to finding the right mix at the right time."
Hasson knows the bar was set high last year, but in his opinion, it could have been higher.
"I do feel like I have a big coat to carry to get back to where we were last year at Pac-12s, but at NCAAs we had the capability to finish top four or three but we didn't execute," he said.
"This year, I feel like this group we have right now is a brotherhood. I feel like anybody on this team can run on this relay and we believe in them to get the stick around or just finish the race. We can definitely do a lot of big things this year."
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State men's 4x100 meter relay team has some fast shoes to fill.
Last season, the Sun Devils foursome of Ben Trotter, Isaiah Underwood, Brandon Hasson and Reggie Lewis captured the Pac-12 title in Seattle, and the group made the final heat (with a healthy Jamol James running the lead leg in place of Trotter) at the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon to earn All-America status.
Hasson, a sophomore, is the only member of the group who returned this season, but that has not dampened assistant coach Ronnie Williams' expectations.
"Everybody was trying to figure out how we could duplicate the success we had being Pac-12 champions and NCAA All-Americans and then you lose three guys," said Williams, who coaches sprints, hurdles and relays on the men's side. "But we've had some veterans step up as well as some newcomers and I think this group has outstanding potential."
That potential was on display March 17-18 at the Baldy Castillo Invitational at Sun Angel Stadium. Hasson, junior Drelan Bramwell, senior Herb Polk and junior Ronny Hall clocked a 39.84 in the relay. By comparison, last season's relay team ran a 39.26 in the qualifying round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships and a 39.90 for eighth place in the final. They ran a 39.54 for a Husky Track record to win Pac-12s.
"Coach always tells us what we can do but when we do that so early we know the potential is even greater now," Hall said. "There are always going to be little tweaks here and there but we wanted to be sub 40 and try to build off that. To hit that on our first try and not have to worry about it any more? Now we can set even higher goals and I could see us right back at NCAAs, just like the team before us and having even more confidence."
Last season's relay team was a tightly knit bunch, but this year's group has taken it to another level. Bramwell, Hasson and Polk are roommates, so they have a bond that extends well beyond the track.
"Coming from home to the track feels no different," Polk said. "You just bring the family and the fun to the track with you. It's a great experience."
All four of the relay team members met each other somewhere along the way, whether in high school or junior college meets, but Bramwell said the bond has grown stronger at ASU.
"We get along great because we're all aggressive, we all set our goals at the start of the year and we'll do everything we can to accomplish them," he said. "We move as a team wherever we go and that makes it easier once we get on the track to keep that chemistry."
As last season's injury to James in the Pac-12 prelims proved, every relay team needs at least five or six members to survive a season. The 4x100 has an intriguing member waiting in the wings in redshirt freshman Paul Lucas, a Phoenix Mountain Pointe High School product that transferred to ASU from Oregon State.
Lucas won the 100 and 400 dashes his junior season at Mountain Pointe, but did not compete his senior season. Lucas figures to start competing in the outdoor season soon after Williams hones his technique, but the timing of Lucas' readiness does not concern his coach.
"I've been in this particular situation a lot and knowing his extreme ability as an athlete, I'm anxious to see how he can fit into the mix," Williams said. "I did this in 2014 where I changed the relay in the NCAA first round and everybody was like 'whoa!' It was planned, though. You always need extra guys to be a successful relay and it just comes down to finding the right mix at the right time."
Hasson knows the bar was set high last year, but in his opinion, it could have been higher.
"I do feel like I have a big coat to carry to get back to where we were last year at Pac-12s, but at NCAAs we had the capability to finish top four or three but we didn't execute," he said.
"This year, I feel like this group we have right now is a brotherhood. I feel like anybody on this team can run on this relay and we believe in them to get the stick around or just finish the race. We can definitely do a lot of big things this year."