Both the ASU men and women finished second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Championships on Saturday. The men finished with 93 points, just three behind California, which took first, and the women finished with 81 points behind only USC, which finished first with had 106 points.
Both teams placed higher than Arizona, earing one point each in the Territorial Cup series. Both teams also placed higher than the favorite going into the event, Oregon.
The event started Friday in Seattle with some of the athletes breaking personal records in what could potentially be their last meet of the indoor season.
Three out of the four men who ran the 200-meter dash on Friday set new personal bests. Ironically, it was was the winner of the event, redshirt senior Ryan Milus, who was the only one who did not set a new personal best, he won the event with a time of 21.29 seconds. Redshirt junior Devan Spann, freshman Tatum Bernard-Taylor and senior Will Henry all placed in the top 10 in that even and set personal bests.
In the pole vault, senior Heather Arseneau looked to finally clear the bar that would send her to nationals in a couple of weeks. Arseneau, along with fellow senior Shaylah Simpson both cleared 3.96 meters for fourth place in the event. That height did not qualify either for the national meet.
On the men’s side of the pole vault, redshirt senior Derick Hinch placed third with his new season-best of 5.30 meters.
Redshirt freshman Ashley Weber placed sixth in the weight throw, the first points of the day for the women on Friday. Weber threw 17.70 meters in the event. Junior Jessika Byrd set a new personal best in the event with 17.17 meters, placing ninth.
Senior Alycia Herring placed second in the women’s long jump, jumping 5.83 meters and earing her team eight points. For the men, sophomore Josh Dixon set a new personal best with a jump of 7.04 meters and earing fifth place.
Saturday, junior Shelby Houlihan helped her team by finishing first in the mile race with a time of 4 minutes, 38 seconds, just barely edging out Oregon senior Megan Patrignelli. That time is the second fastest in ASU history, the top mark also belonging to Houlihan.
Freshman Kala Stone finished seventh in the mile with a new personal best of four minutes and 47 seconds. That time bests her record that was already seventh in the ASU record book. Redshirt senior Anna Jelmini set a new season best in the women’s shot put with a throw of 16.92 and taking second place. ASU had three men qualify for the 60-meter dash finals on Saturday and all of them earned points for the team. Senior Ryan Milus won the event with a time of 6.62 seconds, Bernard-Taylor and Spann placed third and fifth. Milus also took first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.29 seconds. Spann, Bernard-Taylor and Henry also finished in the top 10 in the event. Two ASU women were in the 60-meter dash final. Senior Asiah Gooden placed third with a time of 7.44 seconds and sophomore Jasmine Gibbs placed fifth with a time of 7.51 seconds. Both earned points for the team. When the last events, the men’s and women’s 4X400 relays, began, the women from USC had all but locked up the top spot with the ASU women in second. The ASU men were trailing California by 10. With only second place to run for, the women’s relay team of sophomore Sara McDonald, senior Sarah Geren, freshman LaTroya Franklin and junior Brianna Tate ran their best race of the season. The team took first in the event with a time of three minutes and 35 seconds, a new season best. The men, who had a chance to overtake California for the lead, ran just below their season best. The team of senior Keith Cleveland, sophomore Trae Armstrong, Devan Spann and Will Henry ran three minutes and eight seconds and was just six tenths of a second away from tying their season best. That time put them in second place, behind Oregon, but also locked up second place for the men overall.
Those who qualified this weekend or in previous meets will now turn their sights to the 2014 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque starting March 14.
Reach the reporter at wslane@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @bill_slane
