ASU MEET NOTES | TEXAS TECH MEET INFO | DON KIRBY MEET INFO | IOWA STATE MEET INFO
TEMPE, Ariz. – With the indoor season approaching the halfway point, the Sun Devils are branching out to three different meets, looking to set quality marks against competition from every corner of the NCAA.
"Traditionally we've always traveled as a team and that's something that's always been important to me," director of track and field Greg Kraft said. "Part of the reason we are splitting up is because the NCAA meet is very difficult to qualify for. You have to be one of the top-16 in the country, and in order to get into that, you have to be in the best situation that you can be."
The best situation for the middle-distance/distance crew is a trip north to the Iowa State Classic where the Cyclones will host some of the premier distance dynasties in the NCAA.
The Sun Devils will welcome Samantha Ortega back into the squad after she sat out the Husker Invitational with illness. She recorded a 9:49.01 3,000-meter time at the Texas A&M Quadrangular back in January and that time still holds as ASU's best on the season.
ASU's two reigning Pac-12 champions will both make their ways to Albuquerque, New Mexico as Matthew Eckles and Magdalyn Ewen lead the pole vaulters and throwers into competition at the Don Kirby Elite.
"For the pole vaulters and throwers, the University of New Mexico is a wonderful venue that allows us to get there quickly, have a quality experience and then get back quickly to not disrupt training," Kraft said.
"The sprint group will be going to Texas Tech, which has gotten great reviews," Kraft said. "They just opened their new $50 million indoor facility, and we want to go there and make that judgment for ourselves. Coach Kittley has visited our facility and we're reciprocating for his inaugural season there."
The Red Raider men are ranked No. 2 in the NCAA and will provide the Sun Devil men with ample opportunity to run with some of the top sprinters in D1 track and field.
As for the women, Shaunie Morrison comes into the 60-meter hurdles with one of the better times in the field, but the Sun Devil senior sits on outside of the top-16 in the NCAA with just two weeks to go until the MPSF championships where last year she earned all-conference honors.
Each event is a two-day meet and the complete schedules can be found online at the respective host websites.
What to Watch For
There will be a lot on tap this weekend as the Devils head to Texas, New Mexico and Iowa. With all of Ron Barela's pole vaulters and the newest school record-holder Maggie Ewen making the trip to Albuquerque, the competition in New Mexico headlines this weekend's events.
A state over in West Texas Devin West's sprinters and the Sun Devil jumps crew take on a talented field at Texas Tech's new indoor facility.
Elijah Hughes and Co. will have their best competition of the season as they go up against the NCAA's leader in the high jump in Red Raider senior Trey Culver.
The middle distance and distance crew will travel to Ames, Iowa, where the field will be stacked with athletes from distance dynasties Wisconsin, BYU, Oklahoma State and Mississippi.
The Devils' 3,000-meter leader this season, Samantha Ortega, will lace up again after missing last weekend's trip to Nebraska with illness.
Both the Iowa State Classic and Don Kirby Elite will be live streamed on FloTrack.
ENTRIES – Iowa State Classic
Men – J.P. Nelson, Jackson Lewis, Michael Renner
Women – Bianca Tinoco, Alexis Nichols, Anna Pruter, Samantha Ortega
ENTRIES – Don Kirby Elite
Men – Michael Chadwick, Matthew Eckles, Nathan Hiett, Cole Riddle, Grant Sisserson
Women – Kaylee Antill, Magdalyn Ewen, Haleigh Fritts, Tommi Hintnaus, Samantha Noennig, Kristiana Warth
ENTRIES – Texas Tech Shootout
Men – Ryan Bright, Gregory Fernandez, Mason Ford, Erik Gonzalez, Ivan Hinson, Marcus Howard, Elijah Hughes, C.J. Maree, Ryan Normand, Khalil Parris, Michael Titherington
Women – Kalei Matthews, Shaunie Morrison, Courtnee Oglesby, Alexandra Williams, Sha'Maya Flanagan, Emily Gallegos-Francksen, Christine Williford, Katie Eidem, Jessica Barreira
Frosh Faces
With just over a month to go in the indoor season, the Sun Devils have been led by some new faces, including several freshmen and sophomores who have made names for themselves in Tempe.
Leading the way is the Arizona high school pole vault record-holder Cole Riddle, whose 5.32m/17-5.50 foot leap is the fourth-best mark in school history, and No. 2 in the MPSF.
Clearing a different bar, Ryan Bright has the best high jump mark among Sun Devils and the 11th-best mark in the conference at 2.00m/6-6.75 feet.
Bianca Tinoco's ninth-best 800-meter time in school history ranks near the top-10 in the MPSF and is just a second off the top-five in the ultra-competitive conference.
While Maggie Ewen is the face of the ASU throwers, true freshman Samantha Noennig has put herself into the all-conference conversation by throwing the sixth-best mark in the shot put in the MPSF and 12th best weight throw mark.
Ewen Continues Triumphant Swan Song Season
Last season saw Maggie Ewen steal the national spotlight at the NCAA Outdoor Championships when she scored a meet-high 21 points, won a national title and set a collegiate record in the hammer throw, and so far her follow-up act has lived up to the hype.
Ewen opened the season by setting the school record in the shot put, one of ASU's most-decorated events in school history. The throw put her at ninth in the NCAA all-time, but her name wouldn't stay there long.
Just a week later, Ewen launched the shot put 18.67m/61-3.00 feet, the fifth-best throw in collegiate history, and a throw more than a meter greater than her closest competitor in the NCAA this season.
At the Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska, Ewen earned the most valuable female performance honor from the University of Nebraska after she broke the ASU weight throw record (22.22m/72-11.00) and won the shot put title at the meet.
Ewen debuted on the preseason Bowerman watch list, and remained on the updated watch list for the month of February after her stellar performances during the first half of the indoor season.
The next update to the watch list will be released in March.
Sun Angel Renovations Complete
After more than a month of demolition and construction, the Arizona State Sun Devils have a new, state-of-the-art track surface at Sun Angel Stadium.
The new Mondo surface replaced more than 100,000 square feet on Joe Selleh track, and provides ASU with a world-class track that has outfitted stadiums from Athens, Georgia, to the London Stadium in England.
The surface is Greenguard certified, meaning it is environmentally friendly and made with 42 percent recycled post-consumer and post-industrial material, and 6 percent renewable resources.
ASU's first meet on the new track will be the Baldy Castillo Invitational in March.
Sun Devils in the MPSF Top-10
Pl. Name Event Mark
9. Elijah Hughes High Jump 2.05m/6-8.75
2. Cole Riddle Pole Vault 5.32m/17-5.5
4. Matthew Eckles Pole Vault 5.22m/17-1.5
9. Grant Sisserson Pole Vault 5.07m/16-7.5
9. Nathan Hiett Pole Vault 5.07m/16-7.5
Pl. Name Event Mark
6. Shaunie Morrison 60m hurdles 8.36*
10. Kristiana Warth Pole Vault 3.82m/12-6.25
10. Haleigh Fritts Pole Vault 3.82m/12-6.25
4. Darreyl Woodson Triple Jump 12.59m/41-3.75
6. Jessica Barreira Triple Jump 12.39m/40-7.75
1. Maggie Ewen Shot Put 18.67m/61-3
6. Samantha Noennig Shot Put 16.66m/54-8
1. Maggie Ewen Weight Throw 22.22m/71-11
4. Kaylee Antill Weight Throw 19.27m/63-2.75
TEMPE, Ariz. – With the indoor season approaching the halfway point, the Sun Devils are branching out to three different meets, looking to set quality marks against competition from every corner of the NCAA.
"Traditionally we've always traveled as a team and that's something that's always been important to me," director of track and field Greg Kraft said. "Part of the reason we are splitting up is because the NCAA meet is very difficult to qualify for. You have to be one of the top-16 in the country, and in order to get into that, you have to be in the best situation that you can be."
The best situation for the middle-distance/distance crew is a trip north to the Iowa State Classic where the Cyclones will host some of the premier distance dynasties in the NCAA.
The Sun Devils will welcome Samantha Ortega back into the squad after she sat out the Husker Invitational with illness. She recorded a 9:49.01 3,000-meter time at the Texas A&M Quadrangular back in January and that time still holds as ASU's best on the season.
ASU's two reigning Pac-12 champions will both make their ways to Albuquerque, New Mexico as Matthew Eckles and Magdalyn Ewen lead the pole vaulters and throwers into competition at the Don Kirby Elite.
"For the pole vaulters and throwers, the University of New Mexico is a wonderful venue that allows us to get there quickly, have a quality experience and then get back quickly to not disrupt training," Kraft said.
"The sprint group will be going to Texas Tech, which has gotten great reviews," Kraft said. "They just opened their new $50 million indoor facility, and we want to go there and make that judgment for ourselves. Coach Kittley has visited our facility and we're reciprocating for his inaugural season there."
The Red Raider men are ranked No. 2 in the NCAA and will provide the Sun Devil men with ample opportunity to run with some of the top sprinters in D1 track and field.
As for the women, Shaunie Morrison comes into the 60-meter hurdles with one of the better times in the field, but the Sun Devil senior sits on outside of the top-16 in the NCAA with just two weeks to go until the MPSF championships where last year she earned all-conference honors.
Each event is a two-day meet and the complete schedules can be found online at the respective host websites.
What to Watch For
There will be a lot on tap this weekend as the Devils head to Texas, New Mexico and Iowa. With all of Ron Barela's pole vaulters and the newest school record-holder Maggie Ewen making the trip to Albuquerque, the competition in New Mexico headlines this weekend's events.
A state over in West Texas Devin West's sprinters and the Sun Devil jumps crew take on a talented field at Texas Tech's new indoor facility.
Elijah Hughes and Co. will have their best competition of the season as they go up against the NCAA's leader in the high jump in Red Raider senior Trey Culver.
The middle distance and distance crew will travel to Ames, Iowa, where the field will be stacked with athletes from distance dynasties Wisconsin, BYU, Oklahoma State and Mississippi.
The Devils' 3,000-meter leader this season, Samantha Ortega, will lace up again after missing last weekend's trip to Nebraska with illness.
Both the Iowa State Classic and Don Kirby Elite will be live streamed on FloTrack.
ENTRIES – Iowa State Classic
Men – J.P. Nelson, Jackson Lewis, Michael Renner
Women – Bianca Tinoco, Alexis Nichols, Anna Pruter, Samantha Ortega
ENTRIES – Don Kirby Elite
Men – Michael Chadwick, Matthew Eckles, Nathan Hiett, Cole Riddle, Grant Sisserson
Women – Kaylee Antill, Magdalyn Ewen, Haleigh Fritts, Tommi Hintnaus, Samantha Noennig, Kristiana Warth
ENTRIES – Texas Tech Shootout
Men – Ryan Bright, Gregory Fernandez, Mason Ford, Erik Gonzalez, Ivan Hinson, Marcus Howard, Elijah Hughes, C.J. Maree, Ryan Normand, Khalil Parris, Michael Titherington
Women – Kalei Matthews, Shaunie Morrison, Courtnee Oglesby, Alexandra Williams, Sha'Maya Flanagan, Emily Gallegos-Francksen, Christine Williford, Katie Eidem, Jessica Barreira
Frosh Faces
With just over a month to go in the indoor season, the Sun Devils have been led by some new faces, including several freshmen and sophomores who have made names for themselves in Tempe.
Leading the way is the Arizona high school pole vault record-holder Cole Riddle, whose 5.32m/17-5.50 foot leap is the fourth-best mark in school history, and No. 2 in the MPSF.
Clearing a different bar, Ryan Bright has the best high jump mark among Sun Devils and the 11th-best mark in the conference at 2.00m/6-6.75 feet.
Bianca Tinoco's ninth-best 800-meter time in school history ranks near the top-10 in the MPSF and is just a second off the top-five in the ultra-competitive conference.
While Maggie Ewen is the face of the ASU throwers, true freshman Samantha Noennig has put herself into the all-conference conversation by throwing the sixth-best mark in the shot put in the MPSF and 12th best weight throw mark.
Ewen Continues Triumphant Swan Song Season
Last season saw Maggie Ewen steal the national spotlight at the NCAA Outdoor Championships when she scored a meet-high 21 points, won a national title and set a collegiate record in the hammer throw, and so far her follow-up act has lived up to the hype.
Ewen opened the season by setting the school record in the shot put, one of ASU's most-decorated events in school history. The throw put her at ninth in the NCAA all-time, but her name wouldn't stay there long.
Just a week later, Ewen launched the shot put 18.67m/61-3.00 feet, the fifth-best throw in collegiate history, and a throw more than a meter greater than her closest competitor in the NCAA this season.
At the Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska, Ewen earned the most valuable female performance honor from the University of Nebraska after she broke the ASU weight throw record (22.22m/72-11.00) and won the shot put title at the meet.
Ewen debuted on the preseason Bowerman watch list, and remained on the updated watch list for the month of February after her stellar performances during the first half of the indoor season.
The next update to the watch list will be released in March.
Sun Angel Renovations Complete
After more than a month of demolition and construction, the Arizona State Sun Devils have a new, state-of-the-art track surface at Sun Angel Stadium.
The new Mondo surface replaced more than 100,000 square feet on Joe Selleh track, and provides ASU with a world-class track that has outfitted stadiums from Athens, Georgia, to the London Stadium in England.
The surface is Greenguard certified, meaning it is environmentally friendly and made with 42 percent recycled post-consumer and post-industrial material, and 6 percent renewable resources.
ASU's first meet on the new track will be the Baldy Castillo Invitational in March.
Sun Devils in the MPSF Top-10
Pl. Name Event Mark
9. Elijah Hughes High Jump 2.05m/6-8.75
2. Cole Riddle Pole Vault 5.32m/17-5.5
4. Matthew Eckles Pole Vault 5.22m/17-1.5
9. Grant Sisserson Pole Vault 5.07m/16-7.5
9. Nathan Hiett Pole Vault 5.07m/16-7.5
Pl. Name Event Mark
6. Shaunie Morrison 60m hurdles 8.36*
10. Kristiana Warth Pole Vault 3.82m/12-6.25
10. Haleigh Fritts Pole Vault 3.82m/12-6.25
4. Darreyl Woodson Triple Jump 12.59m/41-3.75
6. Jessica Barreira Triple Jump 12.39m/40-7.75
1. Maggie Ewen Shot Put 18.67m/61-3
6. Samantha Noennig Shot Put 16.66m/54-8
1. Maggie Ewen Weight Throw 22.22m/71-11
4. Kaylee Antill Weight Throw 19.27m/63-2.75