Vaulters, sprinters shine on final day of NM Invite


The Arizona State University track and field wrapped up its first weekend of competition at the New Mexico Invitational on Saturday afternoon in Albuquerque, N.M., with the Sun Devils adding more impressive marks to this season’s result sheets for the second day in a row. The field events stole the show as a pair of pole vault athletes and one triple jumper recorded marks that rank in the Top 15 nationally so far this year while Jasmine Chaney continued to make a name for herself in the sprints.

On the runway, true freshman Shaylah Simpson won the women’s pole vault in her first collegiate meet, clearing a personal-best of 4.20m (13-09.25) and nearly becoming the second Sun Devil woman to break 14-feet in a competition. Her mark currently ranks her second in school history behind April Kubishta (4.30m), who was an NCAA champion in 2007. In the same event, Cara Carpenter placed third overall and cleared the fifth-best mark in school history at 3.90m (12-09.50). With her clearance, Simpson currently ranks seventh nationally.

The men’s pole vault also had several stellar performances, led by senior Corey Phallen, who cleared a personal-best 5.22m (17-01.50) to take second overall. His mark ranks fourth on the all-time ASU list, moving him up from 10th. Staying in the field, three Sun Devils added their names to the school’s Top 10 lists, including Chris Benard in the men’s triple jump (No. 5), Christabel Nettey in the women’s triple jump (No. 6) and Anna Jelmini in the women’s shot put (No. 6).

Benard, in his first event for ASU, took third in 15.53m (50-11.50) to rank himself 12th overall in the nation currently. Nettey finished 10th in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 11.64m (38-02.25), marking the first time she has competed in the event at ASU. Jelmini, a redshirt freshman, took second in the shot put behind former ASU 15-time All-American Sarah Stevens Walker. Jelmini hit a mark of 15.76m (51-08.50) to rank in the Top 25 nationally and second among all freshman in her first indoor meet for the Sun Devils.

On the track, the 4x400m relays swept the men’s and women’s races with the women’s relay earning the 10th-fastest time in school history. That relay, which was made up of Chaney, Kayla Sanchez, Dominique’ Maloy and Keia Pinnick, ran 3:41.21 and is among the Top 20 nationally. On the men’s side, the group of Allante Battle, Kelsey Caesar, John Kline and William Henry combined to run 3:12.23 to win the race.

Individually, Chaney, who ranks seventh nationally in the 200m dash with her time of 23.32 turned in one day prior, is now seventh nationally in the 400m dash after taking second today in 54.13, just off her personal-best time of 53.83 run last year (No. 6 all-time in ASU history). Her relay teammate, Sanchez, also had a solid day in the 60m dash as she ran 7.63 in the preliminary round (eighth-best all-time in ASU history) before lowering her personal-best once again to 7.59 (seventh-best in ASU history) to finish fifth overall. Maloy, in the same race, finished fourth overall in 7.53.

The final ASU Top 10 mark turned in on the day came in the preliminary round of the men’s 60m hurdles where multi-event athlete Jeremy Marcinko ran 8.75, the seventh-best time in program history. In the men’s 60m dash, Ryan Milus, who is redshirting this indoor season, took runner-up honors in 6.76 (equaling his lifetime best) while Daniel Auberry (6.83), Battle (6.92) and Giorgio Giurdanella (6.92) finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Two meets await the Sun Devils next week, including a return trip to Albuquerque for the New Mexico Classic and Multis on Friday and Saturday (February 4-5). The other meet will see several Sun Devils head north to Flagstaff for the NAU Team Challenge on Saturday.

2011 New Mexico Invitational
Day 2 Arizona State Results (Saturday)
Women’s 60m Hurdles
Preliminary Round
2. Keia Pinnick - 8.63 - advances to final
3. Jasmine Chaney - 8.65 - advances to final
10. Christabel Nettey - 8.96
12. Samantha Henderson - 9.01
38. Maddie Nossek - 10.87

Final
5. Keia Pinnick - 8.68

Men’s 60m Hurdles
Preliminary Round
13. Jeremy Marcinko - 8.75 - ASU #7 all-time
18. Austin Prince - 9.31

Women’s 60m Dash
Preliminary Round
3. Dominique’ Maloy - 7.51 - advances to final
5. Kayla Sanchez - 7.63 - advances to final
11. Asia Gooden - 7.80
18. Alycia Herring - 7.91

Final
4. Dominique’ Maloy - 7.53
5. Kayla Sanchez - 7.59 - ASU #7 all-time

Men’s 60m Dash
Preliminary Round
2. Ryan Milus (unattached from ASU) - 6.76 - advances to final
4. Daniel Auberry - 6.83 - advances to final
5. Allante Battle - 6.91 - advances to final
8. Giorgio Giurdanella - 6.98 - advances to final
9. Justin Freeman - 6.98

Final
2. Ryan Milus (unattached) - 6.76
4. Daniel Auberry - 6.83
5. Allante Battle - 6.92
6. Giorgio Giurdanella - 6.92

Women’s 400m Dash - Final
2. Jasmine Chaney - 54.13
10. Sarah Geren - 56.93
19. Andrea Crook - 58.78
40. Maddie Nossek - 1:03.21

Men’s 400m Dash - Final
4. William Henry - 47.96
5. Kelsey Caesar - 48.63
12. Ryan Healy - 49.77

Women’s 4x400m Relay - Final
1. Arizona State ‘A’ (Chaney, Sanchez, Maloy, Pinnick) - 3:41.21 - ASU #10 all-time
6. Arizona State ‘B’ (Herring, Geren, Henderson, Nettey) - 3:55.37

Men’s 4x400m Relay - Final
1. Arizona State ‘A’ (Battle, Caesar, Kline, Henry) - 3:12.23
5. Arizona State ‘B’ (Healy, McHenry, Giurdanella, Prince) - 3:20.35

Women’s Pole Vault
1. Shaylah Simpson - 4.20m (13-09.25) - ASU #2 all-time
3. Cara Carpenter - 3.90m (12-09.50) - ASU #5 all-time

Men’s Pole Vault
2. Corey Phallen - 5.22m (17-01.50) - ASU #4 all-time
3. Dylan Austin - 4.92m (16-01.75)
3. Jeremy Marcinko - 4.92m (16-01.75)
7. Duggan Grant - 4.77m (15-07.75)
7. Austin Prince - 4.77m (15-07.75)

Women’s Triple Jump
10. Christabel Nettey - 11.64m (38-02.25) - ASU #6 all-time

Men’s Triple Jump
3. Chris Benard - 15.53m (50-11.50) - ASU #5 all-time
8. Bryan McBride - 13.70m (44-11.50)

Women’s Shot Put
2. Anna Jelmini - 15.76m (51-08.50) - ASU #6 all-time
15. Samantha Henderson - 12.20m (40-00.50)
38. Maddie Nossek - 9.50m (31-02.00)
39. Keia Pinnick - 9.06m (29-08.75)

Men’s Shot Put
10. Austin Prince - 11.08m (36-04.25)