WOODLAND, Calif. – For her outstanding performance at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships this past weekend, Sun Devil senior Maggie Ewen has been named as the women's athlete of the meet, the conference announced Tuesday.
Ewen's final MPSF meet was her most successful as she left Dempsey Indoor with two conference titles in the weight throw and shot put. She won both events in dominant fashion, taking first place by six feet in the shot put – the largest margin in the last decade – and winning the weight by three feet.
"It feels great," Ewen said. "Winning both events is something I've been trying to do since I've been throwing at MPSF for the past three or four years. I feel I should have done last year, so the fact that I could get it done this year when I needed to is reassuring."
The throwing sweep at the conference championships was just the most recent accomplishment in Ewen's laundry list of achievements from her 2018 campaign.
She set the school record in both events earlier this season, and threw the world-leading mark in the shot put that also put her in rare air as one of four women in collegiate history to record a mark of more than 19 meters. The throw of 19.20m/63-0.00 feet is the third-best in NCAA history.
"My shot put went well at MPSF, which I think is something that is setting me up really well for nationals," Ewen said. "My shortest throw was 18.12 and coming into this year I'd only ever thrown over 18 once. I fouled on my last throw, but I was trying too hard."
A 2017 Bowerman Award finalist, Ewen has found herself on both the preseason and most-recent update of the short list of 10 collegiate women. The next watch list will be revealed later this week ahead of the NCAA Indoor Championships that will feature Ewen in her two events.
The St. Francis, Minnesota, native leads the nation in the shot put and will enter the national prelim at No. 6 in the weight throw.
The 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships will be March 9-10 in College Station, Texas. Ewen throws in the shot put Friday at 4:15 p.m. MST and she'll compete for the weight throw title at 3:30 p.m. MST the following day. The entire event will be live streamed on WatchESPN.
Ewen's swan song is far from over, though. The reigning hammer throw champion still has a full season of outdoor eligibility remaining.
Arizona State's outdoor season will begin in March just a week after the NCAA Indoor Championships with the Baldy Castillo Invitational at Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe. At the same meet a year ago, Ewen set the American collegiate record in the hammer.
MPSF Championships Awards
Men's Athlete of the Meet: Rai Benjamin (USC)
Women's Athlete of the Meet: Maggie Ewen (ASU)
Men's and Women's Coach of the Meet: Caryl Smith
Ewen's final MPSF meet was her most successful as she left Dempsey Indoor with two conference titles in the weight throw and shot put. She won both events in dominant fashion, taking first place by six feet in the shot put – the largest margin in the last decade – and winning the weight by three feet.
"It feels great," Ewen said. "Winning both events is something I've been trying to do since I've been throwing at MPSF for the past three or four years. I feel I should have done last year, so the fact that I could get it done this year when I needed to is reassuring."
The throwing sweep at the conference championships was just the most recent accomplishment in Ewen's laundry list of achievements from her 2018 campaign.
With a meet AND Dempsey Indoor shot put record, Maggie Ewen adds another ?? to her collection!#ForksUp?? pic.twitter.com/qro9aBCBpE
— Sun Devil TFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) February 24, 2018
She set the school record in both events earlier this season, and threw the world-leading mark in the shot put that also put her in rare air as one of four women in collegiate history to record a mark of more than 19 meters. The throw of 19.20m/63-0.00 feet is the third-best in NCAA history.
"My shot put went well at MPSF, which I think is something that is setting me up really well for nationals," Ewen said. "My shortest throw was 18.12 and coming into this year I'd only ever thrown over 18 once. I fouled on my last throw, but I was trying too hard."
A 2017 Bowerman Award finalist, Ewen has found herself on both the preseason and most-recent update of the short list of 10 collegiate women. The next watch list will be revealed later this week ahead of the NCAA Indoor Championships that will feature Ewen in her two events.
The St. Francis, Minnesota, native leads the nation in the shot put and will enter the national prelim at No. 6 in the weight throw.
There's the 3??-peat for Maggie Ewen!
— Sun Devil TFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) February 23, 2018
She takes ?? in the weight throw!
The #SunDevils are on the board?? pic.twitter.com/XXaX336kbh
The 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships will be March 9-10 in College Station, Texas. Ewen throws in the shot put Friday at 4:15 p.m. MST and she'll compete for the weight throw title at 3:30 p.m. MST the following day. The entire event will be live streamed on WatchESPN.
Ewen's swan song is far from over, though. The reigning hammer throw champion still has a full season of outdoor eligibility remaining.
Arizona State's outdoor season will begin in March just a week after the NCAA Indoor Championships with the Baldy Castillo Invitational at Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe. At the same meet a year ago, Ewen set the American collegiate record in the hammer.
MPSF Championships Awards
Men's Athlete of the Meet: Rai Benjamin (USC)
Women's Athlete of the Meet: Maggie Ewen (ASU)
Men's and Women's Coach of the Meet: Caryl Smith