Duncan qualifies in short sprints to lead ASU at opener
Marcus Duncan qualified for the NCAA West Region Championships in the two short sprints and Jasmine Chaney made a solid return to the track as the Arizona State University track and field team completed the first of its five home dates Saturday night with the conclusion of the Baldy Castillo Invitational. The men recorded seven regional-qualifying marks while the women added two of their own as the first outdoor meet of the season came to a close at Sun Angel Stadium.
Duncan opened the day by winning the 100m dash in 10.41 to qualify regionally and came back to run 20.80 to finish second and also meet the regional standard. ASU's only other win in the meet came in the women's 100m dash as freshman Kayla Sanchez ran 12.22 to break the tape first in the event.
Calvin Abram joined Duncan as a qualifier in the 100m dash, running 10.53 to place third overall and meet the standard of 10.55. On the women's side, Chaney ran 13.63 in the 100m hurdles to earn a place at the regional meet while also posting the ninth-fastest time in the event in Sun Devil history.
In the field, the pole vault produced several outstanding marks, including two regional qualifiers for the men and three marks that rank among the Top 10 all-time in ASU women's history. For the men, Joe Fazio and Corey Phallen each cleared 5.05m (16-06.75) to finish fifth and seventh, respectively, while earning berths into the regional meet. On the women's side, Cara Carpenter led the way as the freshman cleared 3.70m (12-01.50) to tie for the fifth-best clearance in school history. Lisa Navarro (3.55m/11-07.75) and Stacy Orosz (3.40m/11-01.75) placed their names on the list at seventh and tied for 10th, respectively.
The discus produced a pair of qualifiers as 2008 All-American Ryan Whiting and redshirt freshman Cj Navarro each added their names to the list. Whiting placed fifth overall with a toss of 59.13m (194-00) while Navarro finished as the top collegiate competitor and fourth overall with her toss of 50.66m (166-02), the 10th-best mark in school history. The final top mark came in the women's javelin as Erika Simington threw 43.28m (139-00) to move into the No. 6 position on the ASU all-time list.
Overall, the Sun Devils won two events and combined to record 14 Top 3 finishes, including five runner-up finishes and seven third-place finishes.
It will be a busy week for the Sun Devils as two meets are on the slate with both taking place in the Valley of the Sun. First up, several decathletes will compete in the Big Green in the Desert Multis at Scottsdale Community College on Wednesday and Thursday before the entire team returns home for the ASU Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Meet Highlights - Baldy Castillo Invitational, Day 2
Saturday, March 21 • Sun Angel Stadium
Regional Qualifiers - Women
Jasmine Chaney - 100m hurdles - 13.63
Cj Navarro - Discus - 50.66m (166-2)
Regional Qualifiers - Men
Calvin Abram - 100m - 10.53
Marcus Duncan - 100m dash - 10.41
Marcus Duncan - 200m dash - 20.80
Joe Fazio - Pole Vault - 5.05m (16-06.75)
Corey Phallen - Pole Vault - 5.05m (16-06.75)
Ryan Whiting - Discus - 59.13m (194-00)
Event Winners - Women
Kayla Sanchez - 100m dash - 12.22
Event Winners - Men
Marcus Duncan - 100m dash - 10.41
On the ASU All-Time Top 5 Lists - Women
Cara Carpenter - Pole Vault - 3.70m (12-01.50) - ASU all-time #5 (tie)
Jasmine Chaney - 100m hurdles - 13.63 - ASU all-time #9
Cj Navarro - Discus - 50.66m (166-02) - ASU all-time #10
Lisa Navarro - Pole Vault - 3.55m (11-07.75) - ASU all-time #7
Stacy Orosz - Pole Vault - 3.40m (11-01.75) - ASU all-time #10 (tie)
Erika Simington - Javelin - 43.28m (139-00) - ASU all-time #6