NCAA titles on the line for ASU track & field

March 12, 2008

Twenty-one members of the Arizona State University track and field program will head to Fayetteville, Ark., and the Randal Tyson Track Center this week as the Sun Devils look to capture national titles at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this Friday and Saturday.<separator></separator>THE STAKES At stake this weekend will be individual and team national titles, along with All-America honors for the Top 8 placers in each event. The Sun Devil women will look to defend the title they won last year in Arkansas while the men are one of the teams battling for their first indoor crown after placing in a tie for 25th one year ago.<separator></separator>NEAR THE TOP The USTFCCCA released its final indoor rankings on March 11 with the Sun Devils highly ranked for the fourth week in a row. Based upon points earned in relation to an athlete/relay's position on the NCAA declared list, the women remained No. 2 behind LSU (166.33-152.14) while the men are No. 4 (87.54) with Florida State leading the way (126.17) and are followed by Tennessee (105.84) and LSU (92.65).<separator></separator>MULTIMEDIA The 2008 NCAA Championships will be broadcast next Thursday (March 20) from 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. PST on ESPN2 (check local listings). To follow the live results on the web, visit LadyBacks.com and click on the blue NCAA Championships logo on the right side of the page for start lists, schedule and results.<separator></separator>INVITED The ASU contingent will be comprised of 11 women and 10 men. The women will be represented by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/battle_tai00.html">Tai Battle</a> (weight throw), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/benjamin_jeavon00.html"… Benjamin</a> (4x400m), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/durham_jordan00.html">J… Durham</a> (4x400m), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elcock_shauntel00.html"… Elcock</a> (4x400m), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/garnett_stephanie00.htm… Garnett</a> (long jump), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (pentathlon, long jump, high jump), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kubishta_april00.html">… Kubishta</a> (pole vault), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/maloy_dominique00.html"…; Maloy</a> (4x400m), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> (shot put, weight throw), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/williams_charonda00.htm… Williams</a> (200m). The men will be represented by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/alcorn_kyle00.html">Kyle Alcorn</a> (3,000m, distance medley relay), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/barbosa_nectaly00.html"… Barbosa</a> (DMR), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elston_darryl00.html">D… Elston</a> (4x400m), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a> (400m, 4x400m, DMR), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/heller_joey00.html">Joey Heller</a> (DMR), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kremer_justin00.html">J… Kremer</a> (4x400m), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/lewis_jason00.html">Jas… Lewis</a> (weight throw), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillip_joel00.html">Jo… Phillip</a> (400m, 4x400m), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/turner_matt00.html">Matt Turner</a> (long jump) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> (shot put). (shot put, weight throw) and<separator></separator>HOW THEY GOT THERE Of all the entries into the national meet, seven women and three men earned automatic berths with their marks this season. For the women, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/garnett_stephanie00.htm… Garnett</a> (long jump), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (pentathlon and long jump), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kubishta_april00.html">… Kubishta</a> (pole vault), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> (shot put and weight throw) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> (shot put) each earned automatic berths while the men's automatics were earned by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/turner_matt00.html">Matt Turner</a> (long jump), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> (shot put) and the distance medley relay of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/heller_joey00.html">Joey Heller</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/barbosa_nectaly00.html"… Barbosa</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/alcorn_kyle00.html">Kyle Alcorn</a>. The remaining Sun Devils provisionally qualified during the season and were accepted to the meet as they ranked among the Top 16 nationally.<separator></separator>USING THAT LAST CHANCE The last chance proved to be a great meet for <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/williams_charonda00.htm… Williams</a> as the junior sprinter posted provisional qualifying times of 7.42 in the 60m dash and 23.69 in the 200m dash. After some scratches, Williams made the field in the 200m dash, entering the meet as the 16th and final entry into the championships. Her 200m time moved her from 30th into the Top 20 and also pushed her into fourth on the all-time ASU Top 5 list.<separator></separator>RETURNING CHAMPIONS While the women's team is the defending national champions, four Sun Devil women also return this weekend having captured national crowns during the last season. Indoors, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> returns looking to capture her third pentathlon crown (took second as a freshman in 2004) and her sixth overall (three-time outdoor heptathlon winner) in the multi-events while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> is back to defend her shot put crown. Two other Sun Devils, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kubishta_april00.html">… Kubishta</a> (pole vault) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> (shot put), won outdoor national titles last year and are in the indoor meet in those events this weekend.<separator></separator>LOOKING TO REPEAT If the women are successful in their bid to defend their indoor title won at the NCAA Championships last season, it will mark just the sixth time since its inception in 1983 that the same school has won at least two titles in a row. The last to do so was LSU, who won titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Others to win twice or more in a row where Nebraska (1983, 1984), LSU (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997), Texas (1998, 1999) and UCLA (2000, 2001).<separator></separator>TRIFECTA? If <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> successfully defends in the indoor pentathlon crowns she won at the 2006 and 2007 NCAA meets, she will become just the ninth woman to win the same event three times in a career at the indoor championships and the second Sun Devil, joining Maicel Malone, who won the 400m dash in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Other three-time champions include Regina Cavanaugh of Rice (shot put, 1984-85-86), Suzy Favor of Wisconsin (mile, 1987-89-90), Vicki Huber of Villanova (3,000m, 1987-88-89), Carlette Guidry of Texas (55m, 1988-90-91), Amy Wickus of Wisconsin (800m, 1993-94-95), Amy Acuff of UCLA (high jump, 1994-95-96) and Trecia Smith of Pittsburgh (long jump, 1997-98-99).<separator></separator>RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS Ten of the 21 Sun Devils entered into the meet this weekend have earned at least one All-America honor in their career with five of those athletes earning the national honor last year at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Those Sun Devils include <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/turner_matt00.html">Matt Turner</a> (7th in long jump) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> (3rd in shot put) for the men and women's competitors <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (1st in pentathlon), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> (3rd in shot put) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> (1st in shot put and 5th in weight throw).<separator></separator>FIRST TIME Of the 21 Sun Devils set to compete this weekend, 13 (five women and eight men) will be competing in their first indoor national championship meet at the NCAA Division I level. Of those 13 athletes, four have not competed in a national collegiate meet, including true freshmen <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/barbosa_nectaly00.html"… Barbosa</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/maloy_dominique00.html"…; Maloy</a>, sophomore <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/lewis_jason00.html">Jas… Lewis</a> and junior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/williams_charonda00.htm… Williams</a>. While the other nine have not competed at the NCAA indoor championships, several have competed in other national Division I meets, including the 2007 outdoor championships and the 2007 cross country nationals.<separator></separator>HAVE EXPERIENCE Three of the "first timers" entered into the meet this weekend are not new to the national championship atmosphere as each won national titles at the junior college level during the past two years. For the women, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/benjamin_jeavon00.html"… Benjamin</a> was a member of the 2006 NJCAA outdoor 4x400m championship relay team and was the outdoor 400m dash runner-up in 2006 and 2007. For the men, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillip_joel00.html">Jo… Phillip</a> won the NJCAA decathlon last year and helped the 4x400m relay to gold in 2006 while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elston_darryl00.html">D… Elston</a> and his teammates won the 2006 indoor 4x400m relay crown before he won the outdoor 400m hurdles.<separator></separator>REGIONAL HONORS Heading into the national meet, a trio of Sun Devils were honored with awards for their performances so far this indoor season. The United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) selected <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> as the Women's West Region Field Athlete of the Year, picked head coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a> as the Women's West Region Coach of the Year and chose throws coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/dumble_david00.html">Da… Dumble</a> as the Women's West Region Assistant Coach of the Year. All three are now eligible for the national honor that will be announced following the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend.<separator></separator>WAIT, THERE IS MORE... The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) announced its annual awards Tuesday with the Sun Devils taking three of the four honors. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a> was selected as the MPSF Women's Coach of the Year while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> was named the MPSF Women's Athlete of the Year and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> was named the MPSF Men's Athlete of the Year. The honor is the first for Whiting and Johnson and the second in a row for Kraft. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> won the women's athlete honor last year.<separator></separator>BREAKING IT DOWN According to the numbers, the Sun Devils lead the NCAA Championship field with seven entries (men and women combined) into the throwing events (Missouri is second with five) while ASU is tied for second in the jumps with five entries (Arkansas leads with seven). Overall, the women's team has the third-most overall entries with 12 (Tennessee leads with 14 and LSU has 13) while the men are fourth with eight entries (Florida State has 11, Arkansas has 10 and LSU has nine).<separator></separator>ONLY TWO In the men's events, the Sun Devils are one of only two schools that have qualified a team into both relays this weekend. The team of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elston_darryl00.html">D… Elston</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kremer_justin00.html">J… Kremer</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillip_joel00.html">Jo… Phillip</a> are ranked second in the 4x400m relay while the distance medley team of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/heller_joey00.html">Joey Heller</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/barbosa_nectaly00.html"… Barbosa</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/alcorn_kyle00.html">Kyle Alcorn</a> rank fourth. The only other school to have both relays qualified is conference rival Oregon, who ranks seventh and eighth, respectively. Including the women's relays, the Sun Devils and Ducks lead the nation with three relays entered at the NCAA Championships this weekend with ASU adding a women's 4x400m and UO sending a women's DMR.<separator></separator>ONLY THREE While Arizona State and Oregon share the distinction of sending three relays to the national meet this weekend, the Sun Devils are one of only three schools that will have a 4x400m relay in both genders set to compete. The Sun Devils will be joined by relays from Texas A&M and South Carolina. Wisconsin, Stanford and Oregon are the only three schools that will have a DMR in both genders.<separator></separator>TRIO OF THROWERS The women also lead the way in one event as the Sun Devils are the only school with three entries into the weight throw. Those competitors include fifth-ranked <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a>, sixth-ranked <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> and 16th-ranked <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/battle_tai00.html">Tai Battle</a>.<separator></separator>LEADING THE WAY ASU has three women and one man in the meet that sport the top marks in the nation. For the women, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> has the top pentathlon score with 4,312 points, while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> leads the shot put (17.78m) and April Kubsihta is tied for the top clearance in the pole vault (4.30m). On the men's side, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> has the top shot put toss at 21.47m.<separator></separator>THEY HAVE A SHOT (PUT) The shot put event has been good to the Sun Devils in recent years and this year looks to be no different this year under coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/dumble_david00.html">Da… Dumble</a>. Last season, six All-America honors were earned with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> each earning the accolade at both the NCAA Indoor and NCAA Outdoor meets. So far this year, Whiting (21.47m) and Stevens (17.78m), the defending indoor national champion, hold the top marks in the nation while Pressley (17.12m), the defending outdoor title holder, ranks sixth in the nation. All three will be in contention to make the Olympic team this summer with Stevens representing Team USA in Osaka last summer after placing third at the USA Championships, Pressley taking fourth and Whiting ranking fourth in the world right now.<separator></separator>WHERE THEY STAND Along with the four national leaders, ASU has five women's and three men's marks that rank among the Top 8 (scoring places) in the nation heading into the championships. On the women's side, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> ranks fifth in the weight throw and sixth in the shot put while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> is fifth in the long jump and eighth in the high jump. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> is ranked sixth in the weight throw to round out the women. The men have <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/turner_matt00.html">Matt Turner</a> ranked fifth in the long jump while the 4x400m relay is second and the distance medley is fourth.<separator></separator>WHERE IN THE WORLD In the latest world rankings, three current Sun Devils are among the Top 20, including <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a>, who ranks fourth in the men's shot put (21.47m). For the women, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> is 10th in the weight throw (21.06m) while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> is 12th (20.94m).<separator></separator>FLASH GORDON Sprinter <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a> has played a key role in the resurgence of the men's team this season and has done it in the 400m dash. Individually, Gordon has a top time of 46.72 and ranks 15th in the nation this week and while he is just on the outside of the scoring positions at the national meet (based on his ranking), he has helped both relays excel. He has combined with the team of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kremer_justin00.html">J… Kremer</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elston_darryl00.html">D… Elston</a><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillip_joel00.html">Jo… Phillip</a> to run 3:06.58, the second-fastest time in the nation in the 4x400m, while also running the sprint leg of the fourth-ranked and school-record-holding distance medley relay (9:32.80) of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/heller_joey00.html">Joey Heller</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/barbosa_nectaly00.html"… Barbosa</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/alcorn_kyle00.html">Kyle Alcorn</a>. and<separator></separator>LET IT FLY To say <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> has jumped into the national scene this year would be an understatement as the sophomore has led the nation much of the indoor season in the shot put. Two weeks ago was no different as he launched the shot 21.47m (70-05.50) to break 70-feet and solidify himself as one of the top talents in the world. Currently, his toss is the fourth-best in the world in 2008, the fourth-best in Pac-10 history and the second-best Pac-10 mark indoors behind Stanford's Terry Albritton, who went 21.50m (70-06.50) in 1977.<separator></separator>ON TOP AGAIN With 154.5 points and seven individual champions, the Sun Devil women won their second MPSF Championships in a row, beating out runner Stanford, who scored 141 points. The win also was the sixth team title in a row for ASU, building off the five they won in 2007.<separator></separator>ANOTHER REPEAT While the women's team captured its second MPSF Championships title in a row, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> did a repeat performance of her own as she won the shot put and the weight throw for the second year in a row.<separator></separator>MORE CHAMPIONS Stevens was joined by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> as the only multiple victors for the Sun Devils. Johnson won the 60m hurdles and the long jump individually before joining <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/benjamin_jeavon00.html"… Benjamin</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elcock_shauntel00.html"… Elcock</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/maloy_dominique00.html"…; Maloy</a> in taking the 4x400m. Other champions for the team included <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kubishta_april00.html">… Kubishta</a> (pole vault) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/williams_charonda00.htm… Williams</a> (200m).<separator></separator>VICTORIOUS MEN Three men's titles were won as well, including <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> (shot put), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/helmer_jeff00.html">Jeff Helmer</a> (5,000m) and the 4x400m of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillip_joel00.html">Jo… Phillip</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elston_darryl00.html">D… Elston</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kremer_justin00.html">J… Kremer</a>.<separator></separator>MORE RECORDS Whiting's shot put mark was not the only record performance for the Sun Devils at the MPSF Championships over the weekend with one relay and one women's field event producing a top mark as well. The men's distance medley relay of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/heller_joey00.html">Joey Heller</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/barbosa_nectaly00.html"… Barbosa</a><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/alcorn_kyle00.html">Kyle Alcorn</a> combined to run 9:32.80 to take second in the race and break the school record by nearly seven seconds, surpassing the time of 9:39.14 run in 2000 by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/strong_brandon00.html">… Strong</a>, LaVell Robinson-Blanchard, David Burke and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/jensen_garrett00.html">… Jensen</a>. On the women's side, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> turned in another PR in the long jump, this time with a leap of 6.50m (21-04.00) to tie <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/greer_tiffany00.html">T… Greer</a> (2000) for the top mark. and<separator></separator>STRONG DEBUT <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/helmer_jeff00.html">Jeff Helmer</a> made his first collegiate race a memorable one as he clocked a time of 14:01.83 to win the MPSF Championship in the 5,000m run and provisionally qualify for the NCAA Championships. Currently, he ranks 18th in the nation.<separator></separator>KRAFT'S KIDS The shot put is not the only field event that has been producing lately. Under coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a>, the long jump has been a strong event for ASU and that trend looks to continue this year. Currently, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/turner_matt00.html">Matt Turner</a> is ranked fourth in the NCAA (7.85m) while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (6.50m) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/garnett_stephanie00.htm… Garnett</a> (6.42m) are fifth and ninth, respectively. Outside the NCAA, Kraft has worked with 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillips_dwight00.html"… Phillips</a> and, most recently, former Sun Devil <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/quinley_trevell00.html"… Quinley</a> won the 2008 USATF Indoor Championships before placing 13th at the IAAF World Championships in Valencia.<separator></separator>IT'S AUTOMATIC At the MPSF Championships, three women's and two men's marks recorded also earned automatic entry into the NCAA Championships, three of which were the first automatic berths attained in those events for a Sun Devil this year. The women's long jump welcomed <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (6.50m) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/garnett_stephanie00.htm… Garnett</a> (6.42m) as first-time automatic qualifiers while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> recorded her fourth auto qualifier in the shot put (17.57m). On the men's side, the distance medley relay of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/heller_joey00.html">Joey Heller</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/barbosa_nectaly00.html"… Barbosa</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/alcorn_kyle00.html">Kyle Alcorn</a><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> improved his auto berth in the shot put (21.47m) for the third time this year. automatically qualified for the first time (9:32.80) while<separator></separator>KREMER GETTING GRAND <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kremer_justin00.html">J… Kremer</a> came to Tempe from a small school in Grand Canyon, Ariz., and has blossomed into one of the top quarter-milers in the nation this year. The sophomore has lowered his 400m dash time each week and currently ranks No. 7 in the nation with his time of 46.78 that he ran at the Iowa State Classic over the weekend. Kremer also had a hand in helping the Sun Devil 4x400m relay qualify for the national meet as he joined <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/gordon_jimmie00.html">J… Gordon</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/elston_darryl00.html">D… Elston</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillip_joel00.html">Jo… Phillip</a> in running 3:06.58, the second-fastest time in the nation this year as well as the third-fastest in school history.<separator></separator>MORE OF THE BEST The United States Track & Field, Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced their cross country academic honorees this week with the Sun Devil women garnering accolades. Individually, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kielty_ali00.html">Ali Kielty</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kingma_jenna00.html">Je… Kingma</a> were two of the 91 women to earn USTFCCCA All-Academic honors and joined their teammates as one of 35 teams nationally to earn team distinctions with a 3.50 grade point average or higher.<separator></separator>ALCORN GOES SUB-FOUR At the Washington Invite (Feb. 2), Sun Devil senior <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/alcorn_kyle00.html">Kyle Alcorn</a> clocked a time of 3:59.82 in the mile to become only the third Sun Devil runner to break the four-minute mark in the event and just the second indoors. Alcorn is second on the ASU indoor lists behind <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/strong_brandon00.html">… Strong</a>, who ran 3:59.59 in 2002, and is third overall in ASU history behind the 3:56.4 turned in by Chuck LaBenz in 1970.<separator></separator>NEW LOOK Joe Selleh Track at Sun Angel Stadium went under the knife recently as the home of Arizona State University track and field was resurfaced with the latest product from Mondo, Mondotrack FTX. ASU's home venue is the first in the world to be surfaced with the product, which also will be installed at Beijing's Olympic Stadium in time for the 2008 Summer Games. Along with the new surface came an expanded shot put area and the addition of a second 'D' zone (at the north end of the infield). The majority of the surface will be maroon/red in color with the only exceptions being the three exchange zones on the track and the non-runway areas of both 'D' zones, which will be gold. The project was completed Jan. 29.<separator></separator>HOME OF CHAMPIONS The Sun Devil women enter the 2008 season as the defending national champions, sweeping both the 2007 NCAA Indoor and 2007 NCAA Outdoor championship meets last year for their first and second national team titles, respectively. The women also won titles in three other championship events they competed, including their first indoor conference crown at the MPSF Championships, their second Pac-10 Championship in a row and their first NCAA West Region Championship.<separator></separator>AND THE AWARD GOES TO... Along with the numerous team titles and All-America honors attained in 2007, several individuals were honored with awards at the conference, region and national levels. During the 2007 indoor season, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (pentathlon) and former NCAA Champion Maicel Malone (400m dash) were selected to the NCAA Division I Silver Anniversary Team, which recognized one outstanding athlete per indoor event from the first 25 years the national organization had conducted championship events. The United States Track & Field, Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) honored a trio of Sun Devils last year as head coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a> was named the USTFCCCA Women's National and West Region Coach of the Year while West Region Athlete of the Year honors went to <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> (field events) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/hastings_amy00.html">Amy Hastings</a> (track events). Kraft and Stevens also were honored by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), the indoor conference ASU participates in, by selecting the duo as the MPSF Women's Coach and MPSF Female Athlete of the Year, respectively.<separator></separator>MORE AWARDS The outdoor season saw plenty of other awards garnered by the Sun Devil women, including USTFCCCA Women's National, West Region and West District Coach of the Year honors for <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a>; Women's National and West Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors for <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/dumble_david00.html">Da… Dumble</a>; USTFCCCA Women's West Region and West District Field Athlete of Year honors for <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a>; the Pac-10 Medal of Honor for <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/hastings_amy00.html">Amy Hastings</a>; Pac-10 Women's Coach of the Year for Kraft; and Pac-10 Women's Field Athlete of the Year for Stevens. Stevens also was selected as one of three finalists for the Honda Sports Award, given annually to the top athlete in each sport in the NCAA.<separator></separator>IT'S ACADEMIC Athletic honors were not the only awards attained during the year as the Sun Devils placed 20 women and 10 men on the Pac-10 All-Academic lists while seven women and two men earned MPSF All-Academic recognition for the indoor season. A total of 13 student-athletes (10 women and three men) were selected for USTFCCCA National All-Academic honors while three women -- <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/bennett_brooke00.html">… Bennett</a>, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kubishta_april00.html">… Kubishta</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> -- earned ESPN The Magazine All-District VIII honors. The USTFCCCA also bestowed three more prestigious academic honors on the Sun Devils following the 2007 season as the women's team earned USTFCCCA Women's Division I All-Academic Team honors before being selected as the 2007 USTFCCCA Women' Indoor and Outdoor All-Academic Team of the Year. Individually, Stevens was selected as the USTFCCCA Women's Indoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year.<separator></separator>CONFERENCE TITLES Starting in 2006, the Sun Devil women have won three conference titles in a row as they have captured the 2006 and 2007 Pac-10 Championships (outdoor) as well as the 2007 MPSF Championship (indoor). Last year, the men nearly gave Arizona State a sweep of the Pac-10 titles, falling three points short of the championship.<separator></separator>HELLO! MY NAME IS... A total of 29 (13 women and 16 men) student-athletes are members of the program for the first time this year, including 15 true freshmen (seven women and eight men). Also in the group of newcomers are five women and eight men that transferred into the program with two of those women and six of the men coming from junior and/or community colleges. The final new addition to the program comes via the Sun Devil water polo program as <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/mcgrath_addison00.html"… McGrath</a> will participate for both teams this spring.<separator></separator>WELCOME ABOARD! While the student-athlete roster welcomed 29 newcomers this year, the coaching staff also added a few new additions with a trio of new coaches now on staff. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/mcdaniel_kenny00.html">… McDaniel</a> was hired on from Cal State Fullerton and will work with the women's sprints, hurdles and relays following the departure of <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/miller_dion00.html">Dion Miller</a> (Texas Tech). A pair of new graduate assistant coaches are now on staff as <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/cole_ryan00.html">Ryan Cole</a> and former Sun Devil NCAA Champion and All-American <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/jackson_victoria00.html… Jackson</a> joined the program, replacing the departed <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/rasmussen_jeremy00.html… Rasmussen</a> (Illinois) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/riley_rhonda00.html">Rh… Riley</a> (Vanderbilt), both of whom attained coaching positions at their respective schools. Both Cole and Jackson will work with the distance, mid-distance and cross country runners throughout the year while also maintaining the day-to-day operations of the program.<separator></separator>MORE NEWCOMERS The Sun Devils received three signed National Letters of Intent on February 6 and added six more following that date, giving the program nine prep standouts that are set to joining the program in time for the 2008 cross country/2009 track and field seasons. Along with initial signees Allante Battle (sprints) for the men's team and women's team additions Devan Coon (sprints) and Kayla Sanchez (sprints & hurdles), the Sun Devils recently added the following student-athletes: Nastia Bishton (distance), Catherine Loden (distance), Stephanie Mundt (distance), Lindsay Prescott (distance) and Kauren Tarver (distance) for the women and Jordan Clarke (throws) for the men. Here is a quick look at the new additions: • Bishton is a high school All-American from Mountain Ridge HS in Glendale, Ariz., and placed 14th at the 2007 FootLocker Cross Country Championships. A state cross country runner-up in 2007, Bishton ran 10:33.89 to finish sixth at the Arcadic Invitational 3,200m run, the fastest time in the state last year. Bisthon (5:01.21, 10:33.89, 17:30.40) also placed third at the state meet in the 3,200m and fourth in the 1,600m. • Battle, a local product of Desert Vista HS in Phoenix, is the son of the former Anna Van, an ASU All-American in long jump and triple jump, and Greg Battle, a former linebacker for the ASU football team. Battle (10.64, 21.33, 47.17) won the 100m, 200m and 400m events at the state level last year, all with personal best times. He also is a standout on the gridiron and could be a two-sport athlete at ASU. • Clarke is a product of Bartlett HS in Anchorage, Alaska, and is a four-time Alaska state champion, winning both the shot put and discus as a sophomore and junior. Clarke (61-07.00, 192-07) also placed fourth in both events as a freshman. He has competed in the Golden West meet, placing fourth in both events as a junior (A Flight) and won the discus (B Flight) as a sophomore. • Coon competes for Schuylkill Valley HS in Leesport, Pa., and holds the state record in the 400m dash in just her third time running the event. She is a four-time all-state selection (three times in the 200m dash and once in the 400m dash). Coon (24.41, 55.17) placed fourth at the 2007 USATF Youth Nationals in the 400m and sixth in the 200m. • Loden currently competes for White Oak HS in White Oak, Texas, where she won the state 3A cross country championship in 2006. The 2006 3A state champion at 3,200m, Loden (4:58.57, 10:41.0, 17:33) placed 11th at the 2006 FootLocker South Region race and is one pace to be her class' valedictorian. • Mundt competes for Urbandale HS in Urbandale, Iowa, and was recently named a National Merit Scholar. The 2006 Iowa High School Heisman winner and a finalist for the 2006 Wendy's High School Heisman national award, Mundt (2:16.3, 4:36.92, 9:49.49) is a two-time state champion at 3,200m and also won the 3,000m at the 2006 Drake Relays. • Prescott is another local product, competing for Sandra Day O'Connor HS in Glendale, Ariz. She has won the Arizona 5A-II state cross country title each of the past two seasons while helping SDOHS to back-to-back team titles. Prescott (2:18.06, 4:59.36, 10:48.92) finished 18th at the FootLocker West Region and sixth at the Nike Team Nationals Southwest Region races last season. • Sanchez is a nine-time state champion at Carson HS (Carson City, Nev.) after sweeping the 100m dash, 200m dash and 300m hurdles in her first three years of competition. The state record holder in the 300m hurdles, Sanchez (11.92, 24.28, 42.34) ranks fourth nationally among returning prep athletes in the 300m hurdles. She was selected as the Nevada Athlete of the Year twice (2005, 2006). • Tarver runs for Serrano HS in Wrightwood, Calif., where she has excelled in cross country as a four-time FootLocker National participant, placing 16th in 2004, fifth in 2005, seventh in 2006 and 10th in 2007. Tarver (2:10.8, 10:50.08 in 3KSC) is a four-time CIF cross country champion and placed third at the U.S. Junior Championships before finishing 39th at the World Junior Championships. She also finished third in the steeplechase at the 2007 Junior Pan Am Games.<separator></separator>MORE TROPHIES Several of those newcomers have already made an impact this year as members of a cross country program that qualified both a women's and men's team to the 2007 NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. At the meet, the women finished fourth overall to earn their second trophy (Top 4 finishers) in three years while the men, who entered the meet ranked 30th, finished 26th overall. Dating back to the 2005 cross country national meet (three cross country seasons, two indoor track & field seasons and two outdoor track & field seasons), the Sun Devil women have accumulated six trophies, including two national titles (2007 indoor and 2007 outdoor), one third-place finish (2006 indoor) and three fourth-place showings (2005 and 2007 cross country and 2006 outdoor).<separator></separator>RECORD RUNS A pair of former Sun Devils turned in record performances last year on the track with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/hastings_amy00.html">Amy Hastings</a> setting the American collegiate record in the indoor 5,000m run while the outdoor season saw Lisa Galaviz (formerly Aguilera) set the America record in the 3,000m steeplechase. Hastings, a 10-time All-American including three in 2007, ran 15:30.17 at the Husky Classic in Seattle during the indoor season which was the fastest time run by an American collegiate women in NCAA history as Kim Smith of Providence (foreign athlete) holds the NCAA record at 15:14.18. Outdoors, Galaviz traveled to a meet in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, and clocked in at 9:28.75 to set the new standard among American women.<separator></separator>OSAKA At the end of August, Osaka, Japan, played host to the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics with five athletes with ties to the Arizona State program competing. Current Sun Devil <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> placed third at the USA Championships in the shot put to earn a World berth, where she placed 22nd overall. Her teammate, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a>, placed fourth in the U.S. meet, missing the World team by one place. On the men's side, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/phillips_dwight00.html"… Phillips</a> earned a bronze medal in the long jump after winning the U.S. meet while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/quinley_trevell00.html"… Quinley</a> (third at the U.S. meet) was 12th in Osaka. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/aguayo_aaron00.html">Aa… Aguayo</a>, who placed second at the U.S. meet, finished 20th in the 3,000m steeplechase, while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/amoo_seth00.html">Seth Amoo</a>, who was representing Ghana, advanced to the qualifying rounds of the 200m dash.<separator></separator>2008 PAC-10 HOSTS The 2008 Pac-10 Championships will be held at Joe Selleh Track at Sun Angel Stadium this year with events being contested on two separate weekends. The women's heptathlon and men's decathlon will take place on May 9-10 with the remainder of the events being held one week later, May 16-17.<separator></separator>IN THE BLOCKS The Sun Devils will jump right into the outdoor season next weekend as they are set to play host to the Baldy Castillo Invitational on March 21-22 on Joe Selleh Track at Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe. The hammer throw will be held Friday night with the discus leading off on Saturday at noon with the running events starting with the 100m hurdles at 5:30 p.m.