MEET NOTES
LIVE RESULTS
MEET SCHEDULE
TEMPE – Track and field has officially returned. For the Sun Devils, it's back with a bang as some of ASU's top-performers from a season ago will shake off the dust at the season-opener in the mountains this Friday.
The NAU Friday Night Challenge will feature eight teams from across the Southwest United States, including the Wildcats of Arizona and MPSF rival UC Irvine.
The trip north is a familiar one for the Devils, as they have opened the year at altitude in each of the last seven seasons.
"When we go up the hill to NAU, it's a chance to see where our student-athletes are in terms of fitness," coach Greg Kraft said. "It also gives us an opportunity to go through some pre-meet protocol with the new coaching staff with coach West and Small taking over the sprint group, and the transition to coach Rasmussen and Leslie in the cross country team. They do things a little bit differently, so it's important for our athletes to be in that type of environment where we can do a lot of hands-on teaching."
Both of ASU's returning Pac-12 outdoor champions in Matt Eckles and 2017 Bowerman finalist Maggie Ewen are expected to compete in their respective events, along with a host of sprinters led by Shaunie Morrison who will compete for the first time under a new regime.
Devin West and Javonie Small took over the Sun Devil sprints program in August and the former Georgia Bulldog duo will get their first look at how their first offseason workouts with the squads have paid off.
Morrison is the only returning sprinter who scored in an open event at last season's MPSF Championships, as last season was an off-color one for a sprints program that racked up 160 points in the open sprints between 2014 and 2016, and another 22 in the 4x400-meter relay.
"Shaunie has been putting together some good workouts and has been progressing nicely," West said. "She's showing signs of growth. From where she started to where she is now, I see her having a really good season. I see her as one of the best hurdlers in the country, and I think she's starting to believe that because of the work she's been putting in."
Perhaps the most intriguing events of the day will be the first ones, as Ron Barela's impressive pole vaulting squads get their first tastes of competition.
"We have an amazing group of pole vaulters here," Barela said. "We have four guys who have jumped over 17 feet, which is the best I've had here. But again, with a new expectation, we have to see how they handle that. Before, they were the underdogs and now we're going to be the top dogs. As we get closer to meets, I'm trying to keep them focused on the process. They're talented enough, so they just have to stay focused and the results will come."
The meet in the Walkup Skydome gets started at 3 p.m. MT, Friday with the field events, and action on the track gets underway at 5 p.m. with the women's mile.
What to watch for
It may be one of the smaller meets on tap for the Devils in 2018, but ASU's trip to Flagstaff will feature some of the Sun Devils' top-talent as well some some fresh faces in maroon and gold.
All eyes will be on 2017 Bowerman finalist Maggie Ewen as she returns to competition for the Sun Devils for the first time since her historic NCAA Outdoor Championships performance back in June.
The Sun Devil pole vaulters send their whole squad north looking to make an early statement as the impressive crew boasts a Pac-12 champion as well as last year's Ivy League outdoor runner-up Grant Sisserson.
Kraft's jumpers will be without Joey Bryant, the Devils' top-performer in the high jump a season ago, but sophomore Elijah Hughes and senior Mason Ford will open their seasons at NAU.
While Shaunie Morrison was the only sprinter to score in an open event at the MPSF championships in 2017, she'll go to Flagstaff with a group of young talent, including sophomore Sha'Maya Flanagan and JUCO-transfer Kalei Matthews, who finished fifth in the 400-meter dash at the 2017 NJCAA Outdoor Championships.
In the longer distances, Jackson Lewis will run on rubber for the first time as a Devil, but comes into the meet having had a consistent freshman campaign for the cross country team during the fall.
Samantha Ortega will be the woman to watch as she is scheduled to take the baton for the fourth, and longest, leg of the distance medley relay.
Looking back – 2017 NAU Friday Night Duals
The Sun Devil track and field squads opened up with 16 personal bests and an additional 10 collegiate bests at the NAU Friday Night Duels at J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in 2017.
Then redshirt junior Maggie Ewen picked up where she left off her sophomore campaign by blowing away her previous personal best in the shot put.
Over in the weight throw, Ewen finished in second place with a mark of 19.76m (64-10.00), while redshirt freshman Kaylee Antill placed third in her first collegiate event with a throw of 18.87m (61-11.00.
In the women's pole vault, junior Kristiana Warth cleared a personal best at 4.00m (13-1.50) as the top finisher, while fellow junior Athena Masolini cleared a new best at 3.90m (12-9.50). Warth's mark ranks 7th all-time in the ASU indoor record books, while Masolini cracked the top-10 at No. 9.
Joey Bryant had quite the Division I debut in the jumps, placing second in both the high jump (6-10.75) and the long jump (22-5.25) for ASU.
On the track, senior Keyasia Tibbs led the ladies in the 60-meter dash and freshman Sha'Maya Flanagan was impressive in the sprints, earning 9th out of 36 in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.77, as well as 3rd out of 33 in the 200-meter dash at 25.04.
ENTRIES – NAU Friday Night Challenge
Men – Ryan Bright, Michael Chadwick, Matthew Eckles, Gregory Fernandez, Mason Ford, Nathan Hiett, Ivan Hinson, Marcus Howard, Elijah Hughes, Jackson Lewis, C.J. Maree, Adam Meyer, Khalil Parris, Michael Renner, Cole Riddle, Grant Sisserson, Alexander Stevens, Michael Titherington
Women – Kaylee Antill, Jessica Barreira, Brooke Coltelli, Vanessa Davis, Katie Eidem, Magdalyn Ewen, Sha'Maya Flanagan, Hannah Flodin, Haleigh Fritts, Tommi Hintnaus, Athena Masolini, Kalei Matthews, Shaunie Morrison, Alexis Nichols, Samantha Noenning, Courtnee Oglesby, Samantha Ortega, Maya Perkins, Anna Pruter, Bianca Tinoco, Kristiana Warth, Alexandra Williams, Christine Williford, Darreyl Woodson
#FlightSchool
The Sun Devil pole vaulters will be led by redshirt junior Pac-12 champion Matt Eckles, but Eckles' enters 2018 with only the fourth-best personal best in the event as newcomer Grant Sisserson, true freshman Cole Riddle and Sun Devil senior Nathan Hiett all have PRs that put them near the top of conference.
Sisserson, the graduate transfer from Cornell, leads the way with his 5.47m/17-11.25 feet from 2015 and Riddle's high school state record of 5.35m/17-7 feet.
Nate Hiett has also topped 17 feet and Eckles' mark is just a half-inch shy.
All four men have marks that would put them in the top-seven in the MPSF last season.
With this group and true freshman Michael Chadwick just behind Eckles, the Sun Devil pole vaulters have the talent and opportunity to make some noise in the MPSF and the NCAA this indoor season.
Ewen nabs spot on Bowerman watch list
Following a historic season that made her a finalist for the award in 2017, Sun Devil senior Maggie Ewen is back on the Bowerman watch list for the 2018 season, the USTFCCCA announced Monday.
Ewen is one of 10 women to make the preseason watch list for collegiate track and field's most-prestigious award, and it is the reigning NCAA hammer throw champion's first appearance on the preseason list.
In 2017, Ewen didn't appear in the highly-touted group until April, after she won an MPSF title and earned two first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Ewen set the collegiate record in the women's hammer throw last season en route to her first NCAA title with a heave of 73.32m/240-7 feet. She then went on to score 11 more points for a meet-high total of 21 points, which catapulted her into the national spotlight and earned her a place in the final three at the Bowerman ceremony last month.
XC academic all-conference
Four Sun Devils found themselves on the Pac-12 All-Academic cross country team, including Alexis Nichols, Michael Renner, Ryan Normand and team captain John Reniewicki who all claimed first-team honors.
The Sun Devil men joined Washington State at the top of the conference for most first-team honorees with three each. Normand, a senior civil engineering major and junior biosciences major Renner led the conference with 4.13 GPAs, respectively.
Reniewicki, who was ASU's No. 1 finisher for the majority of the season and the Sun Devils' lone representative at the West Regional Championships, earned the all-academic honor for his 3.88 GPA in graphic design.
On the women's side, Nichols made the grade with her 4.08 GPA in biochemistry. The junior Sun Devil scored for ASU in every race she appeared in this fall except for one, and even was the No. 2 runner at the Pac-12 Championships back in October.
Senior Chelsey Albertson added to her stellar final season with an honorable mention all-academic honor, and Billie Jo Dytrt and Anna Pruter also earned honorable mention status.
LIVE RESULTS
MEET SCHEDULE
TEMPE – Track and field has officially returned. For the Sun Devils, it's back with a bang as some of ASU's top-performers from a season ago will shake off the dust at the season-opener in the mountains this Friday.
The NAU Friday Night Challenge will feature eight teams from across the Southwest United States, including the Wildcats of Arizona and MPSF rival UC Irvine.
The trip north is a familiar one for the Devils, as they have opened the year at altitude in each of the last seven seasons.
"When we go up the hill to NAU, it's a chance to see where our student-athletes are in terms of fitness," coach Greg Kraft said. "It also gives us an opportunity to go through some pre-meet protocol with the new coaching staff with coach West and Small taking over the sprint group, and the transition to coach Rasmussen and Leslie in the cross country team. They do things a little bit differently, so it's important for our athletes to be in that type of environment where we can do a lot of hands-on teaching."
Both of ASU's returning Pac-12 outdoor champions in Matt Eckles and 2017 Bowerman finalist Maggie Ewen are expected to compete in their respective events, along with a host of sprinters led by Shaunie Morrison who will compete for the first time under a new regime.
Devin West and Javonie Small took over the Sun Devil sprints program in August and the former Georgia Bulldog duo will get their first look at how their first offseason workouts with the squads have paid off.
Morrison is the only returning sprinter who scored in an open event at last season's MPSF Championships, as last season was an off-color one for a sprints program that racked up 160 points in the open sprints between 2014 and 2016, and another 22 in the 4x400-meter relay.
"Shaunie has been putting together some good workouts and has been progressing nicely," West said. "She's showing signs of growth. From where she started to where she is now, I see her having a really good season. I see her as one of the best hurdlers in the country, and I think she's starting to believe that because of the work she's been putting in."
Perhaps the most intriguing events of the day will be the first ones, as Ron Barela's impressive pole vaulting squads get their first tastes of competition.
"We have an amazing group of pole vaulters here," Barela said. "We have four guys who have jumped over 17 feet, which is the best I've had here. But again, with a new expectation, we have to see how they handle that. Before, they were the underdogs and now we're going to be the top dogs. As we get closer to meets, I'm trying to keep them focused on the process. They're talented enough, so they just have to stay focused and the results will come."
The meet in the Walkup Skydome gets started at 3 p.m. MT, Friday with the field events, and action on the track gets underway at 5 p.m. with the women's mile.
What to watch for
It may be one of the smaller meets on tap for the Devils in 2018, but ASU's trip to Flagstaff will feature some of the Sun Devils' top-talent as well some some fresh faces in maroon and gold.
All eyes will be on 2017 Bowerman finalist Maggie Ewen as she returns to competition for the Sun Devils for the first time since her historic NCAA Outdoor Championships performance back in June.
The Sun Devil pole vaulters send their whole squad north looking to make an early statement as the impressive crew boasts a Pac-12 champion as well as last year's Ivy League outdoor runner-up Grant Sisserson.
Kraft's jumpers will be without Joey Bryant, the Devils' top-performer in the high jump a season ago, but sophomore Elijah Hughes and senior Mason Ford will open their seasons at NAU.
While Shaunie Morrison was the only sprinter to score in an open event at the MPSF championships in 2017, she'll go to Flagstaff with a group of young talent, including sophomore Sha'Maya Flanagan and JUCO-transfer Kalei Matthews, who finished fifth in the 400-meter dash at the 2017 NJCAA Outdoor Championships.
In the longer distances, Jackson Lewis will run on rubber for the first time as a Devil, but comes into the meet having had a consistent freshman campaign for the cross country team during the fall.
Samantha Ortega will be the woman to watch as she is scheduled to take the baton for the fourth, and longest, leg of the distance medley relay.
Looking back – 2017 NAU Friday Night Duals
The Sun Devil track and field squads opened up with 16 personal bests and an additional 10 collegiate bests at the NAU Friday Night Duels at J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in 2017.
Then redshirt junior Maggie Ewen picked up where she left off her sophomore campaign by blowing away her previous personal best in the shot put.
Over in the weight throw, Ewen finished in second place with a mark of 19.76m (64-10.00), while redshirt freshman Kaylee Antill placed third in her first collegiate event with a throw of 18.87m (61-11.00.
In the women's pole vault, junior Kristiana Warth cleared a personal best at 4.00m (13-1.50) as the top finisher, while fellow junior Athena Masolini cleared a new best at 3.90m (12-9.50). Warth's mark ranks 7th all-time in the ASU indoor record books, while Masolini cracked the top-10 at No. 9.
Joey Bryant had quite the Division I debut in the jumps, placing second in both the high jump (6-10.75) and the long jump (22-5.25) for ASU.
On the track, senior Keyasia Tibbs led the ladies in the 60-meter dash and freshman Sha'Maya Flanagan was impressive in the sprints, earning 9th out of 36 in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.77, as well as 3rd out of 33 in the 200-meter dash at 25.04.
ENTRIES – NAU Friday Night Challenge
Men – Ryan Bright, Michael Chadwick, Matthew Eckles, Gregory Fernandez, Mason Ford, Nathan Hiett, Ivan Hinson, Marcus Howard, Elijah Hughes, Jackson Lewis, C.J. Maree, Adam Meyer, Khalil Parris, Michael Renner, Cole Riddle, Grant Sisserson, Alexander Stevens, Michael Titherington
Women – Kaylee Antill, Jessica Barreira, Brooke Coltelli, Vanessa Davis, Katie Eidem, Magdalyn Ewen, Sha'Maya Flanagan, Hannah Flodin, Haleigh Fritts, Tommi Hintnaus, Athena Masolini, Kalei Matthews, Shaunie Morrison, Alexis Nichols, Samantha Noenning, Courtnee Oglesby, Samantha Ortega, Maya Perkins, Anna Pruter, Bianca Tinoco, Kristiana Warth, Alexandra Williams, Christine Williford, Darreyl Woodson
#FlightSchool
The Sun Devil pole vaulters will be led by redshirt junior Pac-12 champion Matt Eckles, but Eckles' enters 2018 with only the fourth-best personal best in the event as newcomer Grant Sisserson, true freshman Cole Riddle and Sun Devil senior Nathan Hiett all have PRs that put them near the top of conference.
Sisserson, the graduate transfer from Cornell, leads the way with his 5.47m/17-11.25 feet from 2015 and Riddle's high school state record of 5.35m/17-7 feet.
Nate Hiett has also topped 17 feet and Eckles' mark is just a half-inch shy.
All four men have marks that would put them in the top-seven in the MPSF last season.
With this group and true freshman Michael Chadwick just behind Eckles, the Sun Devil pole vaulters have the talent and opportunity to make some noise in the MPSF and the NCAA this indoor season.
Ewen nabs spot on Bowerman watch list
Following a historic season that made her a finalist for the award in 2017, Sun Devil senior Maggie Ewen is back on the Bowerman watch list for the 2018 season, the USTFCCCA announced Monday.
Ewen is one of 10 women to make the preseason watch list for collegiate track and field's most-prestigious award, and it is the reigning NCAA hammer throw champion's first appearance on the preseason list.
In 2017, Ewen didn't appear in the highly-touted group until April, after she won an MPSF title and earned two first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Ewen set the collegiate record in the women's hammer throw last season en route to her first NCAA title with a heave of 73.32m/240-7 feet. She then went on to score 11 more points for a meet-high total of 21 points, which catapulted her into the national spotlight and earned her a place in the final three at the Bowerman ceremony last month.
XC academic all-conference
Four Sun Devils found themselves on the Pac-12 All-Academic cross country team, including Alexis Nichols, Michael Renner, Ryan Normand and team captain John Reniewicki who all claimed first-team honors.
The Sun Devil men joined Washington State at the top of the conference for most first-team honorees with three each. Normand, a senior civil engineering major and junior biosciences major Renner led the conference with 4.13 GPAs, respectively.
Reniewicki, who was ASU's No. 1 finisher for the majority of the season and the Sun Devils' lone representative at the West Regional Championships, earned the all-academic honor for his 3.88 GPA in graphic design.
On the women's side, Nichols made the grade with her 4.08 GPA in biochemistry. The junior Sun Devil scored for ASU in every race she appeared in this fall except for one, and even was the No. 2 runner at the Pac-12 Championships back in October.
Senior Chelsey Albertson added to her stellar final season with an honorable mention all-academic honor, and Billie Jo Dytrt and Anna Pruter also earned honorable mention status.