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ASU T&F Opens Strong At NAU Friday Night Duals

Jan 16, 2015

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.—The Arizona State track and field teams opened the 2015 indoor slate with strong performances from both returners and newcomers at Northern Arizona University’s Friday Night Duals at the Walkup Skydome.

In the dual match format, the Sun Devil women won four of five head-to-head matchups, over Arizona, Northern Arizona, San Diego State, and Southern Utah. On the men’s side, ASU picked up a 49-45 advantage over Arizona, and another victory over San Diego State.

ASU had 10 winners in the indoor opener, including one from redshirt freshman Magdalyn Ewen. Ewen won the shot put with a throw of 15.52m (50-11.00), which is good for No. 9 in the indoor record book. Ewen also placed second in the weight throw with a personal best of 18.83m (61-9.75), good for No. 7 in the indoor record lore.

Sophomore Keyasia Tibbs picked up a win in the women’s triple jump, with first her try coming in at 12.32m (40-5.00), good enough to secure the win. The mark also places her at No. 3 in the ASU indoor record book, behind Valerie Williams’ (2000) jump of 12.51m (41-0.50) and Christabel Nettey’s (2013) jump of 12.38m (40-7.50).

ASU picked up a sweep in the 60m dash, with junior Jasmine Gibbs taking the women’s race at 7.47, while redshirt senior Devan Spann won the men’s race with a new personal best of 6.68m, good for No. 7 in the indoor record book.

Senior Brianna Tate won the 200m dash with anew personal best of 23.39, while fellow senior Cameron Taylor set a new personal best in the 60m hurdles at 7.82.

The women’s 4x400m relay team of senior Sara McDonald, sophomore LaTroya Franklin, freshman Melese Crozier, and Tate came out on top with a time of 3:44.29.

On the men’s side of the field events, redshirt junior Tanner Greeley won the pole vault competition with a best clearance of 4.82m (15-9.75), redshirt senior Kyle Lillie won the weight throw with a new personal best of 18.09m (59-4.25), and redshirt sophomore Thomas Anderson won the shot put with a throw of 18.58m.

Other notable results include redshirt senior Paisley Pettway’s ASU debut, and she took second in the 800m run with a time of 2:18.06. On the men’s side of the 800m run, junior Michael Julian took second at 1:54.50, while redshirt junior Trevor Landry followed in third at 1:55.65.

Up next, the Sun Devils head to College Station, Texas, for the Texas A&M Quadrangular on Saturday, Jan. 24.

Quotes
Director of Track and Field Greg Kraft
“I thought the NAU Friday Night Duals was a good start for us. One of the things you try to stress to the team is how to get warmed up, how to go through the whole process of competing, cooling down, taking coaching, and learning from each rep, each race, each throw. I thought our student-athletes did a really good job with that. I think the highlight for us was Cameron Taylor’s 7.82 in the hurdles. It’s an excellent start, as is Devan Spann’s 60m dash win. Thomas Anderson opened well in the shot, and it really shows what a nice balance that we have.”

“One of the things we always talk about in our program is that it takes champions to win championships, and we saw today that there are athletes who are capable of winning, but you also have to have pockets that are able to score points in bunches. I think in the men’s and women’s performances today, early out there you could see that we can do that indoors. Magdalyn Ewen is a star in the making, and her performances bode well in the future, and we also have Ashley Weber and Alex Hartig, who were outstanding, and we know that Jessika Byrd will get better. I think it was nice, our newcomer in the triple jump Keyasia Tibbs, who I think is capable of qualifying for nationals. We have experience in the 60m with Jasmine Gibbs and Brianna Tate. We had some nice pieces today, but as I told the team, it’s just a start. It’s January 16, and we step up big time in class next week at Texas A&M.”

Assistant Coach Ronnie Williams
“I thought we had excellent leadership from our veteran guys in Devan Spann and Cameron Taylor. They both opened with personal bests with Devan running 6.68, and he really showed a lot of improvement in his technique and his mechanics in the race. Cameron really finally put a race together, was consistent and patient. Both excellent times for those two and it’s really created great momentum for us as we look to build from this meet to when we go to Texas A&M next week.”

“I think the girls did a good job. I think any time you go into a meet and you’ve got Jasmine Gibbs winning the 60m in 7.47, it’s important to get wins. Brianna Tate came out and ran a personal best in the 200m, which is going to bode well as we move into next week. We’ve got a new transfer in Paisley Pettway, who competed really well and finished her race, which is really important. We talk about winning races, and most importantly in winning races you always have to close well and really execute.”

Assistant Coach David Dumble
“I thought it was pretty good. It was good for the first meet, some ups and some downs. We had some really big PRs, which we’re excited about. I think on average we performed pretty well, especially compared to how we performed at practice. I think in the next couple weeks we’re going to see some even bigger performances. We’re very proud of Thomas Anderson for opening up with a big PR in the shot put and getting the win. Magdalyn Ewen almost had a 20-food PR in the weight in her win, which is great, and Kyle Lillie had a great PR on the day as well, so overall it’s very exciting.

Senior Cameron Taylor
“Today was a good day. Finally injury free, and a personal best of 7.82. That’s pretty good, puts me in the top-five so far, and for next week, the goal is to try to drop that down to 7.70, show the competition at Texas A&M what’s up.

Redshirt Freshman Magdalyn Ewen
“Today was a good day. I threw a personal best in the weight at 61-10. I did really well in the shot put, won the meet. We had a lot of good performances in the weight, and in the shot put, men and women, and it was a great day overall.”

Team Results
Women
Arizona State 64, Arizona 48
Grand Canyon 78, Arizona State 61
Arizona State 71, Northern Arizona 56
Arizona State 59, San Diego State 57
Arizona State 76, Southern Utah 38 

Men
Arizona State 49, Arizona 45
Grand Canyon 81, Arizona State 48
Northern Arizona 71, Arizona State 48
Arizona State 52, San Diego State 0
Southern Utah 71, Arizona State 46 

Arizona State Women’s Results
Women’s Pole Vault
4. Nicole Kennedy—3.77m (12-4.50)
6. Kristiana Warth—3.52m (11-6.50)

Women’s Long Jump
8. Jasmine Gibbs—5.37m (17-7.50)
13. Kendra Purifoye—5.14m (16-10.50)

Women’s Triple Jump
1. Keyasia Tibbs—12.32m (40-5.00)
5. Darreyl Woodson—11.14m (36-06.75)
7. Chelsea Chess—10.94m (35-10.75)

Women’s High Jump
10. Kendra Purifoye—1.50m (4-11.00)

Women’s Weight Throw
2. Magdalyn Ewen—18.84m (61-9.75)
3. Ashley Weber—17.72m (58-1.75)
5. Jessika Byrd—16.06m (52-8.25)

Women’s Shot Put
1. Magdalyn Ewen—15.52m (50-11.00)
4. Alex Hartig—14.70m (48-2.75)
6. Ashley Weber—14.08m (46-2.50)

Women’s 60m
1. Jasmine Gibbs—7.47

Women’s 800m
2. Paisley Pettway—2:18.06

Women’s 400m
11. Melese Crozier—58.24

Women’s 60mH
6. Kendra Purifoye—8.98

Women’s 200m Dash
1. Brianna Tate—24.39 (PR)
3. Sara McDonald—24.77

Women’s 4x400m Relay
1. McDonald, Franklin, Crozier, Tate—3:44.29

Arizona State Men’s Results
Men’s High Jump
2. Edmond Baker—2.05m (6-8.75)

Men’s Pole Vault
1. Tanner Greeley—4.82m (15-9.75)
3. Matthew Eckles—4.67m (15-3.75)
4. Dillon Groener—4.52m (14-10.00)

Men’s Weight Throw
1. Kyle Lillie—18.09m (59-4.25) (PR)
2. Ryan Leslie—17.45m (57-3.00)
4. Kyle Long—15.27m (50-1.25)

Men’s Shot Put
1. Thomas Anderson—18.58m (60-11.50) (PR)
3. Kyle Long—16.70m (54-9.50)
6. Kyle Lillie—16.09m (52-9.50)

Men’s 60m
1. Devan Spann—6.68 (PR)

Men’s 800m
2. Michael Julian—1:54.50
3. Trevor Landry—1:55.65

Men’s 400m
8. Ronny Hall—50.40

Men’s 60mH
1. Cameron Taylor—7.82 (PR)