(Photo: Ellie Simspon/WCSN)
ASU Track and Field redshirt junior Maggie Ewen came out strong in the first two outdoor track meets of the 2017 season. In fact, she came out stronger than anyone ever has in the hammer throw.
Ewen threw 72.71m on Friday, March 17 at Baldy Castillo Invitational, which is not only her personal best, but set the new American collegiate record, as well as Pac-12 and ASU records. She also broke the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten meet record for the discus with a throw of 59.83m.
The transition from the indoor season to outdoor was a quick turnaround, but even in such a short time Ewen blew her competition out of the water. She credits part of her victory to the comfort of being home.
“Throwing in the same ring we’ve thrown in all year, and being familiar with the area and sleeping in my own bed, I think it’s all definitely helpful. It’ll be nice to travel somewhere else to see how I compare,” Ewen said.
Ewen also says she has been “clicking a little bit better technique wise” with Arizona State’s new throwing coach, Brian Blutreich, who has coached Ewen to do four spins with her hammer throw, instead of three as she had been doing in the past.
“If you had seen [my throws] last year, you would’ve thought I was throwing in slow motion compared to this year,” Ewen said. “I’m getting a lot more energy on the ball with that extra turn.”
Ewen won National Athlete of the Week honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association after her record-setting performance. Meanwhile, she is simply focused on the next meet.
“I don’t really set big distance kind of goals,” Ewen said. “I’m just trying to hit 72 [meters] again next meet to prove to myself and everyone that it wasn’t just a fluke and I can do it again. I hope to stay there and slowly climb.”
With the way Ewen has performed in the first two meets, it looks like she will be inching her way into new records every week.
