Jan. 12, 2013
SEATTLE - Stanford freshman Amy Weissenbach won her much-anticipated collegiate debut, capturing the women's mile in the final steps at the UW Indoor Preview on Saturday.
Weissenbach, the National Federation high school record-holder in the 800 meters and a three-time California state champion, ran 4:52.01 to edge Erin Koch of New Balance, by 0.04. Early leader Jessica Tonn was fourth in 4:53.80 as Stanford placed four among the top seven.
Weissenbach, a Los Angeles native out of Harvard-Westlake School, was among six Stanford winners in the season-opening meet, on the flat 307-meter track at University of Washington's Dempsey Indoor facility.
Hurdles specialist Kori Carter won the women's 400 meters in convincing fashion, clocking 55.92, with teammate Carissa Levingston second in 57.33, in the last and fastest of nine heats.
Another Stanford duel took place in the women's 600, with senior Joy O'Hare outpointing freshman Kaitlyn Williams, 1:31.73 to 1:32.04, for the victory. Freshman Claudia Saunders was third in 1:33.30.
Stanford won both 4x400 relays. The women, anchored by Kaitlyn's twin, Kristyn Williams, won in 3:48.81. The order was Levingston, Carter, O'Hare, and Williams.
For the men, the relay of Spencer Chase, Luke Lefebure, Loren Pilorin, and Marco Bertolotti clocked 3:20.00 to beat Western Washington in 3:20.26.
The mile won't go down as a Stanford victory, though Andrew Berberick led a pack of Cardinal runners to a top-five sweep in the fastest collegiate heat, with all finishing within 1.15 seconds of each other.
Berberick ran 4:09.41 to edge Kenny Krotzer (4:09.91) and Bertolotti (4:09.93), with Jim Rosa (4:10.55) and Erik Olson (4:10.56) just behind. However, the official winner, from the final heat contested among professionals, was Olympic 10,000 silver medalist Galen Rupp in 3:57.15.
Geoffrey Tabor won the shot with a put of 55-0¼. Tabor had his best throw on the second of his six attempts and won by nearly three feet.
Michael Atchoo earned a pair of runner-up finishes. In the 800, he trailed only Matt Centrowitz, the fourth-place finisher in the 1,500 at the London Olympics. Centrowitz ran 1:51.60 to Atchoo's 1:52.98. Stanford's Justin Brinkley was third in the heat and fourth overall, in 1:54.94.
Atchoo followed with the 3,000, running 8:12.36 to edge teammate Rosa in 8:13.55. Michael Nicks, an unattached runner, won the race in 8:05.62.
Stanford took 39 athletes to the meet -- 20 men and 19 women - and next competes at the New Mexico Cherry and Silver meet in the altitude of Albuquerque on Friday.