BEST IN FIELD
Ewen on her past, future after dramatic win
Maggie Ewen’s new life already is underway.
She’s shopping for an agent and, maybe soon after that, will have her first professional sponsorship.
Ewen certainly is marketable coming off her double win at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships to cap her Arizona State career. She’s the NCAA record holder in shot put and hammer throw and a viable candidate to make the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in both of those events.
That doesn’t even include discus, which she dramatically won Saturday on her final collegiate throw, surpassing defending champion Shadae Lawrence of Kansas State and Valarie Allman of Stanford.
Ewen will compete in all three throws at the U.S. Outdoor Championships, June 21-24 in Des Moines, in what amounts to her pro debut after missing
“That was the peak of my college career.” Maggie Ewen
Arizona State thrower, on winning the NCAA discus championship
out on a chance to defend her hammer throw title at the NCAA meet in Eugene, Ore.
The 23-year-old fouled three times in hammer at an NCAA regional qualifying meet, a rare glitch in her consistent excellence as a junior and senior under ASU throws coach Brian Blutreich. Ewen plans to continue training in Tempe with Blutreich in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
Ewen - ranked No. 4 in the world for 2018 in shot put, No. 6 in hammer throw and No. 13 in discus - looked back, and ahead, on Tuesday in an interview with azcentral sports.
Let’s start with the final throw at NCAA Championships.
Ewen: It was a crazy time. That was the peak of my college career. It was my last time being a Sun Devil. To walk in that ring, I just tried to be as confident and do what I could do. I managed to, I guess.
The rain had stopped by then. What was your thought process?
Ewen: A lot of positive reinforcement. The weather was so bad the whole time that all of us throwers were really supporting each other because we all knew how bad the conditions were and how hard all of us had worked.
You looked happy afterward but kind of matter-of-fact.
Ewen: That’s the biggest emotional reaction I ever show. When I saw it hit, I wasn’t sure if it had passed Shadae’s mark. I knew it was going to be close and I knew no matter what, it was farther than Val’s throw. So OK, even if I’m not first, I’m second. It’s one of those instant moments of gratification where it’s, ‘I did what I wanted to do and now we have to wait for the mark and see how well I did.’
We talked before about not knowing what the reason was for you not qualifying in hammer. Now maybe you know.
Ewen: Hammer was one of those weird days. That’s just track and field. You can be so prepared for a competition and sometimes you get there and fate is like, ‘You know what, not today.’ It was one bad day at the very wrong time for it. I took all that frustration from hammer and put it into working on my discus and shot put. Not qualifying for hammer made the double championship possible.
Because that might not have happened if you had thrown hammer before shot put.
Ewen: I don’t know how shot would have ended up that day (June 7), and I don’t know how much energy I would have had left come Saturday in the discus.
So are you satisfied when you walk away with all the crown jewels (one NCAA outdoor title in each throw)?
Ewen: Hammer is what is was. I can’t be upset. I still won it one year, still got the collegiate record and discus frankly is my favorite of the three. So being able to win the event and the really emotional atmosphere of it, that’s by far my most valued championship now. I’m just so happy how it worked out.
I never heard you say that before about discus being your favorite.
Ewen: It was the one I started with in fourth or fifth grade. It took quite a few years until I even started shot put and the hammer just started at the beginning of college. So discus I’ve been throwing for the last 12-13 years so it’s the closest to my heart.
What’s the reaction been to your two titles?
Ewen: Everyone was so excited and so positive and happy. Everyone knew it was possible but also knew how difficult it was going to be. Doing it on the last throw with that atmosphere, everyone is very positive about the whole thing.
So is that enough to win The Bowerman (national college track Athlete of the Year)?
Ewen: Probably not, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Editor’s note: Ewen was a finalist in 2017. Bowerman semifinalists will be announced on Wednesday. Is that important to you? Ewen: My dad always taught me growing up you can’t place your hopes into an award if there’s nothing you can really do to make it happen the way you want it to. I would love to get it (no thrower has won the award), but I’m trying not to place too much hope in it because there’s nothing left I can do.
How many events will you throw at U.S. Championships?
Ewen: All three. I’m definitely going into discus with really, ‘This is just for fun, don’t really care how I place.’ Then really try and attack hammer and shot put.
Do you have a mixed feeling about the end of your college career?
Ewen: It’s weird to know you’re not really a part of that bigger something anymore. ASU has made all of these opportunities possible for me through the coaching staff, the whole team, the whole environment. They’ve really become a family for me and support me through everything. Now moving on without them is going to be difficult, but they always will still have my back.