While the No. 8 ASU men’s track team has national championship aspirations, the Sun Devil women have been gradually improving and looking to break through.

That may have very well happened over the weekend in Flagstaff, where both teams competed in the NAU Team Challenge.

The women won five events, as the contributions came from all over.

ASU coach Greg Kraft said he was impressed with the performance of his women’s squad but also noted they were due for a big meet soon.

“The women have made tremendous strides and made a lot of progress this weekend,” Kraft said. “They have been training well and are very talented.”

ASU freshman sprinter/hurdler Christabel Nettey led the way for the Sun Devils, as she won the long jump with a mark of 6.20 meters (20-04.25). That leap, which ranks as the ninth-best in school history, provisionally qualified her for nationals and moved her into the top 20 in the country.

Nettey also took second in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.49 seconds, good for fourth place on ASU’s all-time list.

ASU senior sprinter Jasmine Chaney also stepped up for the women, winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.89. That mark also provisionally qualified her for the national meet.

“Jasmine really made a significant improvement this weekend,” Kraft said. “It was really a solo effort, and it made her time impressive.”

Chaney was also part of the team that won the 4x400 relay in 3:49.84, along with sophomore Kayla Sanchez, freshman Keia Pinnick and sophomore Courtney Golden.

Kraft also said the pressure may ease off the women now that they have broken through.

“It’s just one step of many steps, but sometimes it’s harder to make the first step,” he said.

The ASU men were led by the usual suspect in the sprinting group, along with a newcomer.

Going up against UCLA, the men’s sprinters took first through fourth in the 60-meter dash.

ASU senior Lawrence Trice won for the third week in a row with a time of 6.67, while true freshman Ryan Milus took second in 6.72.

“For us to go one through four on [UCLA] without question was a statement,” he said.

Meanwhile, a trio of men’s throwers competed in New Mexico at the Lobo Classic.

ASU senior Ryan Whiting took first in the shot put (21.24 meters) while stretching his national leading mark to over five feet.

Freshman Jordan Clarke finished fifth in the event (17.26 meters).

ASU senior thrower Jason Lewis took first in the weight throw with a toss of 21.59 meters (70-10.00) to automatically qualify for nationals.

Reach the reporter at eric.smith@asu.edu