Four Sun Devil track and field athletes are preparing for this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, and they all bring varying levels of championship experience. The 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships will be hosted by the University of New Mexico and will begin on Friday, March 13 at 11 a.m.
Cole Riddle is competing in his first NCAA Championship event in the pole vault, and he is looking to continue his momentum from his first place finish at the MPSF Championships on February 28. Riddle had several close finishes in his career, including a silver medal at the 2018 U.S. Junior Championships, but his first victory coming less than two weeks ago cements him as a dark-horse heading into his first NCAA Championship event.
Turner Washington competed in the discus throw at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championship while with the University of Arizona. Washington did not place that year, but after finishing third in the shot put at the recent MPSF Championships in Seattle, he is surely looking to win his first championship as a Sun Devil.
Cortney Jones brings extensive NCAA Championship experience during her time at Florida State University, having participated in the 2017 NCAA Championships, and earning a bronze medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships. But this weekend, Jones will be returning to the NCAA Indoor Championships as a Sun Devil, looking to avenge her fourth-place finish from 2018 when she competed as a Seminole.
However, it is defending champion and All-American Samantha Noennig that is the clear favorite to bring some hardware back to Tempe. The defending shot put champion in both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, Noennig will be looking to capture her first championship of 2020 after her second-place finish at the MPSF Championships. But after finishing no lower than second in all but one of her events this year, including two first-place finishes, it will surely be an uphill battle for anyone to dethrone Noennig this weekend in New Mexico.
Cole Riddle is competing in his first NCAA Championship event in the pole vault, and he is looking to continue his momentum from his first place finish at the MPSF Championships on February 28. Riddle had several close finishes in his career, including a silver medal at the 2018 U.S. Junior Championships, but his first victory coming less than two weeks ago cements him as a dark-horse heading into his first NCAA Championship event.
Turner Washington competed in the discus throw at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championship while with the University of Arizona. Washington did not place that year, but after finishing third in the shot put at the recent MPSF Championships in Seattle, he is surely looking to win his first championship as a Sun Devil.
Cortney Jones brings extensive NCAA Championship experience during her time at Florida State University, having participated in the 2017 NCAA Championships, and earning a bronze medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships. But this weekend, Jones will be returning to the NCAA Indoor Championships as a Sun Devil, looking to avenge her fourth-place finish from 2018 when she competed as a Seminole.
However, it is defending champion and All-American Samantha Noennig that is the clear favorite to bring some hardware back to Tempe. The defending shot put champion in both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, Noennig will be looking to capture her first championship of 2020 after her second-place finish at the MPSF Championships. But after finishing no lower than second in all but one of her events this year, including two first-place finishes, it will surely be an uphill battle for anyone to dethrone Noennig this weekend in New Mexico.