The ASU track and field team traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday for the Indoor New Mexico Collegiate Invitational.
The Sun Devils performed well on both the men and women’s teams. The men finished in a very close second to UCLA while the women finished in a respectable fifth behind two top-25 ranked women’s teams in Kansas State (No. 12) and UCLA (No. 21). As a team, the Sun Devils performed satisfactory in nearly every event.
The first big result of the day for ASU came from sophomore LaTroya Franklin, who finished second in the women’s 200-meter dash with a run of 24.00.
It was Franklin’s personal best time and good enough to put her into the top-10 in ASU history for this event. In the very next race, senior Brianna Tate won the women’s 400-meter in 53.75 seconds.
Tate and Franklin, both members of the women’s 4x400 relay team, continued their excellent day by joining up with teammates Melese Crozier and Sara McDonald to win the event with a season-best time of 3:35.43.
Sophomore Keyasia Tibbs not only secured a personal-best of 12.56 meters in the women’s triple jump, her jump was good enough for the ASU school record. The record previously belonged to former Sun Devil Valerie Williams back in 2000.
On the men’s side of the track, the Sun Devils got big showings from the sprinters.
Senior Devan Spann finished in third place in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.66 seconds, a new personal best for him. Senior Cameron Taylor followed Spann up by winning the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.80, also a personal best time. Taylor’s time was good enough for the sixth-fastest time in the nation this year.
The Sun Devils showed talent out on the field as well, with many personal records being set for both men and women.
Redshirt freshman Maggie Ewen continued her excellent first season at ASU with a third place finish in the women’s weight throw. Her throw of 19.92 meters was good for a personal best for her. Ewen had another personal best in the women’s shot put with a throw of 15.64 meters, enough for fourth place.
Senior Alex Hartig also set a new personal record in the women’s shot put with a throw of 15.58 meters. Hartig finished fifth in the event.
For the men, junior Josh Dixon finished third in the triple jump with a distance of 15.52 meters. The New Mexico Invitational was Dixon’s first event of the season.
A pair of Kyles for ASU dominated the men’s weight throw. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Long, who finished seventh, had his personal best with a throw of 17.41 meters while redshirt senior Kyle Lillie set his personal record with a throw of 18.80 meters. Lillie’s throw put him in second for the event.
Senior Bryan McBride competed in his first event this season at the New Mexico Invitational. McBride, who won the national championship in the high jump last year, finished in third at the Invitational with a jump of 2.16 meters.
The Sun Devils had a relatively impressive outing in New Mexico and now look ahead to Feb. 13 when they will be back in Albuquerque for the Indoor Don Kirby Invitational.
Reach the reporter at tjwilkin@asu.edu or follow @Twilkins23 on Twitter.
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