STANFORD, Calif. – Though the Stanford track and field focus remains on the upcoming NCAA indoor championships, the Cardinal quietly begins its outdoor season on Saturday at the Outdoor Opener at Cal’s Edwards Stadium. Stanford will send nine athletes – five throwers and three pole vaulters. – to the fifth annual meet that alternates between Stanford and Berkeley.
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Meet information:
When: Saturday
What: Outdoor Opener
Where: Berkeley, Calif.
Site: Edwards Stadium
Events begin: Field, 9 a.m.; Running, 12:30 p.m.
Follow the action:
Live results: Click here
Event schedule: Click here
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Stanford Schedule and athletes:
9 a.m., Women’s hammer: Valarie Allman, Rebecca Hammar
10 a.m., Men’s hammer: Lucas Rowley
11 a.m., Women’s pole vault: Ellie McCardwell
12:30 p.m., Men’s pole vault: Dalton Duvio, Dylan Duvio
12:30 p.m., Women’s shot put: Alyssa Wisdom
1:30 p.m., Men’s shot put: Nick Budincich
2 p.m., Women’s discus: Valarie Allman, Rebecca Hammar
3 p.m., Men’s discus: Nick Budincich, Lucas Rowley
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Collegiate debut: Freshman thrower Valarie Allman makes her collegiate debut Saturday. Allman was the 2013 national high school leader in the discus with a best of 184-2, which put her at No. 16 on the 2013 U.S. performance list, including collegians and professionals. It also put her No. 6 in high school history and was a Colorado record. The women’s discus qualifying mark for July’s IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore., is 155-10. The hammer is a new event for Allman and she needs 180-5 in that event.
Outdoor debut: Freshman pole vaulter Dylan Duvio makes his collegiate outdoor debut. Indoors, he jumped 17-5 ½, which met the junior world qualifying criteria and placed him No. 3 all-time at Stanford indoors. His junior brother, Dalton Duvio, makes his 2014 debut after not competing indoors. Dalton ranks No. 8 all-time outdoors at Stanford, at 16-10 ¾.
Return appearance: Rebecca Hammar will throw the hammer and the discus. It was at the this meet last year, held at Stanford, that Hammar set a personal best of 171-10. She exceeded that in winning the Big Meet with No. 4 discus throw in Stanford history, at 179-11.
Upcoming: Stanford will send a contingent to the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, on March 27-29, but expects to have its full squad ready for the Stanford Invitational on April 4-5. The Stanford and Payton Jordan (May 4) invitationals are the team’s two home events.