It was a busy weekend for the ASU indoor track and field team, as the Sun Devils earned awards and gained berths for this year's NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships.
ASU coach Greg Kraft racked up two awards this weekend, the MPSF Men's Coach of the Year and the USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year. The MPSF award was the third of Kraft's career, but his first with the men's team. The USTFCCCA award was Kraft's second. The first one came in 2008.
Senior jumper Chris Benard also picked up an award this weekend, winning the USTFCCCA West Region Field Athlete of the Year. Benard had an amazing indoor campaign that included setting the school's indoor record in the triple jump and earning an automatic qualifier to the event.
Benard led a group of eight Sun Devils who qualified for the championships this weekend in Nampa, Idaho. The group consists of six men and two women: Benard in the triple jump, sophomore Bryan McBride in the high jump, sophomore Ryan Milus in the 60-meter dash, redshirt junior Mason McHenry in the 800-meters, junior Nick Happe in the mile, redshirt junior Jordan Clarke in the shot put, redshirt sophomore Anna Jelmini in the shot put and junior Christabel Nettey in the long jump.
The Sun Devils will compete Friday and Saturday.
— Danny Shapiro
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