For the first time this season, the ASU men's and women’s track and field team is split up this weekend for two separate meets.
Coach Greg Kraft, along with some of the team’s jumpers and throwers, traveled to Flagstaff for the Mountain T Invitational which started Friday, while some of the team’s runners will participate in the Texas A&M; Aggie Invitational starting Saturday.
After the team’s performance in New Mexico last week, there was a minor change in the rankings. The men, who were ranked No. 11 last week, dropped down to No. 12 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ranking after finishing last in the New Mexico Invite. The women stayed at No. 22.
The events Friday in Flagstaff that had Sun Devils participating included the men’s weight throw, men’s pole vault, women’s shot put and men’s high jump.
In the men’s weight throw, ASU had three athletes place in the top 10. Redshirt freshman Kyle Long placed 10th with his throw of 14.26 meters while redshirt junior Kyle Lillie threw 16.04 meters, good enough for fourth place.
Winning the event and throwing 17.85 meters was redshirt junior Ryan Leslie. That mark is a new personal record for Leslie and puts him eighth on the all-time record list for ASU.
The men also showed well in the pole vault. Freshman Dillon Groener and redshirt senior Chris Manuele tied for ninth place with 4.75 meters. Redshirt sophomore Tanner Greeley placed in a five-way tie for fourth place with 4.90 meters. After coming in third place in New Mexico, redshirt senior Derick Hinch came in a two-way tie for first in Flagstaff with 5.15 meters. Greeley’s mark was a new personal best.
The only ASU athlete to participate in the men’s high jump today was Edmond Baker, who placed fourth with a jump of two meters.
In the women’s shot put, both ASU athletes who participated placed inside the top six Friday. Redshirt freshman Ashley Weber placed sixth with 14.44 meters while redshirt junior Alex Hartig came in at third place with a throw of 14.81 meters. Hartig’s throw overtakes third best for ASU this season, which was previously held by Weber.
The Mountain T Invitational will wrap up Saturday with ASU athletes participating in the women’s long jump, women’s weight throw, men’s shot put and women’s pole vault. In the women’s pole vault, senior Heather Arseneau will be looking to clear the 14-foot bar, which would overtake teammate Shaylah Simpson’s mark for second place all-time in ASU history. Simpson will also be participating in the event Saturday.
Also Saturday, ASU will have athletes participating in the Texas A&M; Aggie Invitational in College Station, Texas. Events that include Sun Devils are the 4x400 relay for both men and women, the men’s and women’s 200-meter dash, the men ’s and women’s 60-meter dash and more.
Events in the Mountain T Invitational will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday; events for ASU athletes in Texas will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Reach the reporter at wslane@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @bill_slane
