(Photo: Ellie Simpson/WCSN)
The Track and Field Sun Devils recorded just under 20 personal bests at the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Invitational meet at home.
The meet included four teams from the Pac-12 conference Arizona, Arizona State, Cal and UCLA against four teams from the Big Ten conference Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State.
The men’s 1600m relay highlighted the evening. On Saturday night, the Sun Devils broke the meet record for the men’s 1600m relay, previously set in 2015 by the University of Arizona at 3:08.12, with a photo finish over the Wildcats. In the final 30m of the race, junior Drelan Bramwell beat out Arizona’s anchor leg by a head. The relay featured Bramwell, senior Herb Polk, sophomore Jeremy Wright and sophomore Brandon Hasson.
Hasson believes the home crowd had a positive effect on the team’s performance.
“I believe the environment was great,” Hasson said. “Just coming in trying to show off for the fans. I think it was a good effort [from the team],”
Just last week, Hasson and Bramwell both hit personal records in the 200m dash. Bramwell completed the 200m dash with a personal best of 20.95, qualifying him for the 2016 West Regional with the eighth fastest 200m time in the nation. Hasson also finished with a personal best of 21.09, earning him the 16th fastest time in the nation.
Redshirt junior and All-American Maggie Ewen, won the hammer and discus throws. On Friday, Ewen threw just one meter shy of her American collegiate record with a throw of 71.72m (235-04). At the previous meet, Ewen set the record in the hammer throw with a throw of 72.71m (238-6). Her throw broke the Pac-12 record as well as ASU’s record which she set a season ago.
Several other Sun Devils had big nights as well. Junior Shaunie Morrison earned her first Division I victory with a first place in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.60.
The Big Ten won on both the men’s and women’s side, with a score of 409-312 for the women, while the men had a narrower victory of 393-327. The Sun Devils will participate in the Stanford Invitational on March 31 and April 1.
