The ASU track and field team opens 2011 without a returning NCAA champion athlete for the first time since 2004.
With that in mind, Friday’s first meet of the season, in the form of the New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., will require a strong team start. And this time, there is little pressure on the Sun Devils.
“I wouldn’t put very much importance on it,” redshirt sophomore Jeremy Marcinko said. “It’s kind of just a feeler to see what I need to work on for later meets.”
With the more prominent and championship meets much farther down the road, it’s easy to understand the Sun Devils’ mindset going into the weekend.
The No. 25 men’s team and unranked women’s team are just looking to set a bar for the upcoming season.
“The first meet of the year is to show the progress I made through the fall and up to this point,” Marcinko said. “It doesn’t necessarily affect how my season is going to go.”
For those athletes that have already set a bar, have sights on a national championship or are just looking to beat the competitor across from them, the meet can be approached as just another day at the track.
“It’s just practice,” senior Samantha Henderson said. “Make it on the board in long jump. Don’t hit the bar in high jump. We’re just working on our technique.”
One of ASU’s 13 seniors, Henderson sees this first meet as more important for the 27 new athletes to the team, including 20 true freshmen.
“For the freshmen it’s getting a feel for competition,” Henderson said. “Knowing what you need to work on in practice for bigger meets.”
Henderson joins Marcinko as some of several Sun Devils competing in multiple events on the weekend.
The early season meets give the athletes a chance to try their hand at different events.
“This meet is particularly one of those meets,” Marcinko said. “I’m not going to be competing in this many events when we go to the bigger meets. This is one of those meets where it’s like, I’m not very good at this event, but coach Kraft will give me a chance to see if I can be good at this.”
Henderson and Marcinko will compete for their respective women’s and men’s sides in the high jump, long jump, 60-meter hurdles, shot put and 4-by-400-meter relay. Marcinko will also compete in the pole vault.
Reach the reporter at zcavanag@asu.edu
