The ASU indoor track and field team enters the postseason this weekend with a more centralized focus as it competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships.
This will mark the first time the entire team has competed since the Texas A&M Mondo Challenge.
ASU coach Greg Kraft is gearing his team up to compete in the meet, which has newfound significance for the Sun Devils.
“The conference championship meet defines you as a team, as you're finally competing against your peers,” Kraft said. “In the past, this meet hasn't been as important to the administration as it is now, and we didn't put a lot of emphasis on it.”
Although the meet serves as a measuring stick for the overall season, the Sun Devils kept practice simple this past week.
“Practice was a lot lighter this week and we were trying to be careful with our athletes,” Kraft said.
The No. 7 ranked men's squad heads into the MPSF championships with high expectations. The Sun Devils already have three automatic national qualifiers and a total of eight athletes with marks in the top 25 of their respective categories.
Senior jumper Chris Benard, who holds the Sun Devil indoor triple jump record, had a specific focus this week.
“I had to make sure all the technical things were good and all the little things came together because it really matters,” he said.
Benard still feels that his best jumps are ahead of him, though.
“I'm very confident, especially because I don't even think I've had my longest jumps yet,” Benard said.
The women are also ready to compete in the biggest meet of the season.
The Sun Devils has been steadily improving throughout the course of the season. All-America athletes redshirt sophomore Anna Jelmini and junior Christabel Nettey have upped their marks recently, along with many of the other women.
Kraft recognized the improvements of the women since the beginning of the season and feels it bodes well for the future.
“The girls have really stepped up, especially the veterans, so that was nice,” Kraft said.
Senior Kayla Sanchez said she understands the importance of competing in a meet of this magnitude and the preparation that goes along with it.
“We know we are going to be facing the top competition, so technically we want everything to be perfect,” she said.
Sanchez, an outdoor All-America athlete, is eager to compete this weekend.
“I'm really confident and I'm just ready to go out there and do my best,” Sanchez said.
The Sun Devils will be competing Friday and Saturday at the University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor Facility.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu
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