To clarify the difference in transition from the weight throw in the indoor season to the hammer throw in the outdoor season, Ewen had to transition from tossing a 20-pound ball with a shorter handle to heaving a nine-pound ball with a long, narrow steel wire.
"It usually takes about a month to adjust from the 20-pound weight as far as feeling and technique out of your system, and to do it within a week and do that is pretty amazing," said throwing coach Brian Blutreich. "I almost held her out of the meet this week just to give her some down time after nationals, but she was really chomping at the bit to throw hammer. We had a great practice yesterday, so we went ahead and threw it. Hey, sometimes you never know what can happen.
"It's an awesome thing and there's still so much left after watching the video. Hopefully sometime this year she can break the overall collegiate record."
Her previous best and Pac-12 record was 70.50m (231-3) at the NCAA West Regional in May. Coach Blutreich pointed to several small changes in her technique as to how Ewen has come so far in such a short time.NEW. AMERICAN. COLLEGIATE. RECORD! 72.71m (238-6) for @MagdalynMaeEwen in the hammer throw! pic.twitter.com/1s0dkmxVzi
— SunDevilTFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) March 18, 2017
"Last year she was only three turning, so this year we added a fourth turn for more speed," said Blutreich about her technique. "We changed some other small things up that she felt comfortable with, and the scary thing is she's just starting to grasp some of this stuff. And she's really not in fantastic throwing shape yet, so it's going to be interesting to see how it all pans out later in the season."
Barring any other record-breaking throws elsewhere in the country this weekend, the mark should put Ewen in the driver's seat on the national outdoor list.
"It feels amazing," said Ewen of being the new record holder. "I'm still kind of in shock, honestly. Practice has been going really well, so I knew I was going to have a good opener, but I never would have thought it was going to be this good. I'm just super happy and looking forward to the next meet."
In the men's hammer throw, senior Kyle Long also put on a show with a first-place throw of 62.80m (206-0), which moves him from 8th to 6th on the ASU all-time list. It's also a five-foot personal record for Long.
Over on the Joe Selleh Track, junior Drelan Bramwell threw on the speedsters in the men's 200-meter dash with a new personal best of 20.95 for a third-place finish. That mark is just on the cusp of last year's regional qualifying mark was at 20.94.
His teammate, sophomore Brandon Hasson, took second in his heat and sixth overall in the event with a new personal best of 21.09.
In the women's 1,500-meter run, senior Chelsey Albertson ran a new personal best of 4:20.24, which was just five seconds off the Baldy Castillo meet record set two years ago. In 2016, that time would qualify her for the NCAA West Regional meet.
Freshman Alexis Nichols also ran a new best in her first outdoor collegiate meet, clocking a 4:31.38 for seventh place in a field of 37 runners.
Saturday's events begin at 10:30 a.m. PT with the men's and women's discus throw, with the track events beginning at 2 p.m. PT. The track events – and some field – will be streamed live on ASU Live Stream 2 starting at 2 p.m.
Baldy Castillo Invitational
March 17-18, 2017
Sun Angel Stadium
Track Events
Men's 200m Dash
3. Drelan Bramwell – 20.95
6. Brandon Hasson – 21.09
Women's 200m Dash
26. Shaunie Morrison – 25.50
27. Sierra Irvin – 25.53
36. Kendra Purifoye – 26.21
38. Courtnee Oglesby – 26.47
44. Alex Williams – 26.76
47. Jessica Barreira – 27.26
Men's 400m Hurdles
18. Richard Thiel – 55.69
24. Kaodilichi Nwuda – 59.35
Women's 1500m
1.Chelsey Albertson – 4:20.24
7. Alexis Nichols – 4:31.38
16. Adriana Olivas – 4:38.71
22. Brittany Alexander – 4:42.03
26. Carissa Diaz – 4:48.45
30. Megan Reniewicki – 4:52.71
31. Anna Pruter – 4:52.90
35. Kelly Schock – 4:57.57
Men's 1500m
18. Michael Coccia – 3:54.37
33. Brandon Boys – 3:59.00
39. Kyle Shinn – 4:03.26
44. Nick Dale – 4:20.64
--CJ Albertson – DNF
Women's 2000m Steeplechase
9. Billie Jo Dytrt – 7:15.25
10. Courtney Lewis – 7:17.11
Field Events
Women's Hammer Throw
1.Maggie Ewen – 72.71m (238-6)*
8. Kaylee Antill – 58.38m (191-6)
12. Ashley Weber – 55.22m (181-02)
Men's Hammer Throw
1.Kyle Long – 62.80m (206-00)
16. Michael Titherington – 53.12m (174-03)
Women's Javelin Throw
15. Jessica Barreira – 40.99m (134-6)
17. Melanie Johnson – 39.00m (127-11)
18. Alyssa Cornell – 35.55m (116-8)
Men's Pole Vault
5. Garrett Starkey – 5.05m (16-6.75)
-- Liam Henshaw – NH
-- Jacob Flores – NH