NEW ORLEANS – After sweeping the NCAA indoor and outdoor shot put titles in 2019, Sun Devil junior Samantha Noennig has been named as one of 10 women on the preseason watch list for the Bowerman Award, the USTFCCCA announced Monday.
Noennig's historic outing gave ASU its second sweep of the shot put in as many years with two-time Bowerman Award finalist Maggie Ewen claiming both titles in 2018. It marked only the second time this century that teammates swept the shot put in back-to-back years (UCLA, 2001-02).
Then a sophomore, Noennig entered both championship meets as a contender for the titles, but found herself outside the top-spot heading into her final throws. Indoors, she jumped into the gold-medal position with her final throw, and outdoors she moved from fifth to first with a personal best heave of 18.14m/59-6.25 with her fifth throw on the evening.
Both championship winning throws set new personal bests for her and came after she also won conference titles at the MPSF Indoor Championships and Pac-12 Championships outdoors.
Beyond the shot put, Noennig has been a consistent discus thrower for the Devils, earning a silver at the 2019 Pac-12 Championships and taking all-conference honors in the event as a freshman back in 2018.
Noennig is the third Sun Devil woman to make the preseason watch list, following former teammate and two-time finalist Ewen (2017-2018) and Anna Jelmini (2014).
The NCAA champion will begin her title defense and Bowerman Award campaign this weekend as the Sun Devils open their indoor season in Flagstaff at the NAU Friday Night Duals.
Noennig's historic outing gave ASU its second sweep of the shot put in as many years with two-time Bowerman Award finalist Maggie Ewen claiming both titles in 2018. It marked only the second time this century that teammates swept the shot put in back-to-back years (UCLA, 2001-02).
Then a sophomore, Noennig entered both championship meets as a contender for the titles, but found herself outside the top-spot heading into her final throws. Indoors, she jumped into the gold-medal position with her final throw, and outdoors she moved from fifth to first with a personal best heave of 18.14m/59-6.25 with her fifth throw on the evening.
Both championship winning throws set new personal bests for her and came after she also won conference titles at the MPSF Indoor Championships and Pac-12 Championships outdoors.
Beyond the shot put, Noennig has been a consistent discus thrower for the Devils, earning a silver at the 2019 Pac-12 Championships and taking all-conference honors in the event as a freshman back in 2018.
Noennig is the third Sun Devil woman to make the preseason watch list, following former teammate and two-time finalist Ewen (2017-2018) and Anna Jelmini (2014).
The NCAA champion will begin her title defense and Bowerman Award campaign this weekend as the Sun Devils open their indoor season in Flagstaff at the NAU Friday Night Duals.