The ASU track and field team is preparing for this weekend’s Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Invitational in Tempe.
Taking place at Sun Angel Stadium, the Sun Devils will team up with UCLA and Arizona to take on Big Ten foes Indiana, Michigan and Nebraska.
The meet will be scored by conference instead of the usual individual team format.
The Sun Devils have the No. 18-ranked men’s team and the No. 30-ranked women’s team, but will be facing stiff competition from the Big Ten. Michigan has the No. 24-ranked men’s team and No. 20-ranked women’s team while the Nebraska men’s team is ranked at No. 17.
The meet begins Friday at 1:30 p.m. PT (all times PT) with the men’s and women’s hammer throw.
Looking to follow a strong start from the Baldy Castillo Invitational is sophomore Kyle Long. Long set a personal record at 60.14 meters last week and will look to repeat or better his performance on Friday,
On the women’s side, freshman Maggie Ewen and junior Ginger Jarchow set personal bests last week and both will look to continue the upward trend Friday afternoon.
Following the hammer throws are the men’s and women’s discus at 3:45 p.m. Senior Michael Ohakwe had the best finish of the Sun Devil men in the discus last week in fourth place and will be back to compete this week.
Senior Alex Hartig, who finished second in the women’s discus at the Baldy Castillo invite, will be starting for the women in the discus and trying to best her 52.68 throw last week.
Saturday’s action starts for the Sun Devils in the women’s javelin, which takes place just after the men’s. Hartig and Jarchow will be set to start along with sophomore Alyssa Cornell and freshman Kendra Purifoye.
Across the field at 5 p.m. is the men’s pole vault featuring junior Tanner Greeley, who set his outdoor personal record last week with a height of 5.05. The women’s pole vault follows with freshman Haleigh Fritts, freshman Kristina Warth, and junior Nicole Kennedy all scheduled to compete.
The long jump events start at 5:30 p.m. with juniors Josh Dixon and Jamol James. James finished third in the long jump last week and set a new personal record jump of 7.44. The women’s long jump begins after the completion of the men’s.
The action heats up at Sun Angel Stadium starting at 6 p.m. On the field is the men’s high jump featuring senior Edmond Baker and high jump national champion senior Bryan McBride. Purifoye will be high jumping for the women after the completion of the men’s event.
At the same time is the first track event of the afternoon, the women’s 100 hurdles with Purifoye set to start. The men’s 100 hurdles follows the women’s at 6:15 p.m. Senior Cameron Taylor will be competing in his first outdoor meet of the year in the race.
Next up are juniors Noah Kenyawani and Daniel Wong in the men’s 1500 at 6:30 p.m. followed by the women’s 1500 featuring senior Shelby Houlihan. Houlihan is the reigning national champion in the event and will be competing in her first outdoor meet of the year.
The women’s 4×100 relay takes place after the men’s 4×100 with senior Brianna Tate, sophomore LaTroya Franklin, senior Sara McDonald, and junior Jasmine Gibbs.
At 7 p.m. is the men’s shot put and men’s 3000 steeplechase. Senior Kyle Lillie will be one to watch out for after finishing fourth last week in the shot put. Wong and sophomore Jack Balder will be running the steeplechase for the men.
The women’s shot put and women’s 3000 steeplechase are next. Ewen finished third last week in the shot put and Ashley Weber, who is also competing, finished fifth. Senior Shaina Corbin, sophomore Anna Long and senior Kayla Springford will be in the women’s steeple.
The last field event of the meet is the triple jump. The men and women’s events will both be taking place at 8 p.m. Dixon will be jumping for the men while freshmen Chelsea Chess and Darreyl Woodson jump for the women.
The track events continue after the steeple races at 7:23 p.m with Ronny Hall and Sterling Winston in the men’s 400 dash. Following the men’s race is Crozier in the women’s 400 dash.
The premier event of the weekend is arguably the men’s 100 dash at 7:35 p.m. with Jamol James, the winner last week in 10.47 seconds, the third-fastest time this year. Senior Kyle Middlebrooks will be paired with James for the race. Gibbs will be running the 100 for the women following the completion of the men’s event.
The 800 races are next starting with juniors Michael Julian and Trevor Landry for the men at 7:45 p.m. and senior Paisley Pettway and sophomore Mia Townsend in the women’s.
The 400 hurdles are at 8:05 p.m. with junior Cody Moore running for the men and junior Kiera Bulluck running for the women.
Hall, Middlebrooks and Winston start in the men’s 200 at 8:18 p.m. while McDonald, Purifoye, and Tate run the women’s 200 after the men’s race.
The last individual races are the men and women’s 5000 beginning at 8:35 p.m. followed by the final event of the weekend, the women’s 4×400 relay.
There will be live results available on finishedresults.com and a live stream of the meet available on thesundevils.com.
Reach the reporter at tjwilkin@asu.edu or follow @Twilkins23 on Twitter.
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