If you follow ASU track and field, you may have heard of Maggie Ewen, the redshirt senior thrower who has broken multiple records this season. She is the top collegiate women’s shot putter in the world right now, and she is now third all-time in collegiate history in the women’s indoor shot put, with a mark of 19.20 m.
This season, Ewen has made history here at ASU. She's first place all-time in ASU indoor records in the shot put and in the weight throw.
But Ewen's historic run didn't begin at the start of this season – it began with her family as a young girl.
When Ewen was in fourth grade, her sister, Alicia Ewen, came home with a flier for track and told her father she wanted to compete in track and field. Her father, Bruce Ewen, was an All-American thrower at Illinois State, so he gladly took her to go practice.
“I wanted to be just like my big sister, so when they went out to throw, I went out to throw with them. I was just the one that kind of stuck with it through all those years,” Maggie Ewen said.
Growing up, Maggie and Alicia played volleyball, and Alicia went on to play in college at the University of Mary. Their mother, Kristi Ewen, played volleyball at Ohio State.
“Volleyball was really Maggie’s first love,” Bruce Ewen said. But Bruce being a former thrower, saw potential in Maggie in throws at a young age.
Bruce and Kristi said the athletic nature of their family had an impact on their daughter's success.
“She’s both of us, but I mean we were both D-I. I mean we’re old farts now, but we were D-I athletes,” Kristi Ewen said.
“Speak for yourself,” Bruce Ewen jokingly said.
Ewen said she attributes her success this season to her coach Brian Blutreich.
“The new ideas and technical changes, the new training styles – all that has made like a really big impact on my throwing,” Maggie Ewen said. “And now this year, I think it's going so well because we’ve just had that extra year together.”
When Maggie breaks a record or extends her already broken record, she said she is always proud of herself.
“It’s really cool to do that kind of thing (break a record), but at the same time, I always feel like I can offer more. I always feel like ‘yeah that was good, but it could’ve been a little bit better,’" she said.
Maggie Ewen mentioned how she is always looking forward to the next meet, so she can have the chance to get better and improve her marks. Maggie did not expect her season to go quite this well, but she did expect to experience growth from the previous season.
“What I’ve been able to do this season has shocked me I think most out of anybody,” Maggie Ewen said.
Her parents have also been stunned at her performances this season.
“What we didn’t expect, though, is the level of performance she has achieved in so many different events,” Bruce Ewen said. “And the fact that she’s taken it to that level is really what’s so remarkable in her case.”
Maggie’s parents said that despite her stellar results this season, they rarely brag about her. They have taught Maggie to be a humble person and to let her accomplishments speak for themselves.
“We’ve often told Maggie, 'if you have to brag, then you’re not doing as well as you need to be doing,'” Bruce Ewen said.
While her parents said they don't like to brag, Bruce Ewen did highlight how strong a season Maggie is having.
"Maggie is just having the kind of season that most don’t even dream about. It’s just surreal to think about it,” Bruce Ewen said. “We had no idea that five years ago when she left home that she’d be talking about a national championship in a couple of different events.”
Reach the reporter at cncarte1@asu.edu or follow @CCydeni on Twitter.
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