SEATTLE – U.S. junior national cross country champion Elise Cranny and three other members of Stanford’s heralded freshman women’s distance-running class will compete collegiately for the first time, when they toe the line Saturday at the Washington Invitational.
Stanford will field split squads for both men and women, largely with runners who did not compete Saturday at the Stanford Invitational. Stanford’s teams in Seattle have a younger nucleus than those that ran at Stanford, centering around the freshmen for the women and the sophomores, who are freshmen in eligibility, for the men.
What: Washington Invitational
Where: Jefferson Park Golf Course, Seattle, Wash.
When: Saturday: Women (6K), 11 a.m.; Men (8K), 11:45 a.m.
Meet Information: Click here
Live Results: Click here
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WOMEN
Race Overview: No. 4 Stanford is among four competing teams ranked among the nation’s Top 15. The field consists of 11 schools in the women’s competition, all in NCAA Division I. Besides Stanford, the top-ranked teams are No. 3 Oregon, No. 13 Villanova, and No. 15 Washington. Villanova and Stanford locked horns twice in two distance events at the Penn Relays last spring, with duels down the stretch.
Stanford Breakdown: Elise Cranny, the top distance recruit in the country, makes her collegiate debut as part of a Stanford contingent that includes three other heralded freshmen in their first race: Claire Howlett, Anna Laman, and Abbie McNulty. This is the first race for Cranny and Laman since the 1,500-meter final of the IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., on July 27. Cranny, in fourth, was the top non-African and Laman of Australia was 12th. Cranny’s 1,500 personal best of 4:10.95 was run at Stanford’s Payton Jordan Invitational and made her the No. 3 high school performer ever and placed her No. 5 on the all-time U.S. junior list. Providing the leadership will be juniors Claudia Saunders, the 2014 NCAA outdoor 800 runner-up, and Rebecca Mehra, a second-team outdoor track All-America in the 1,500.
Stanford’s Lineup:
Sophie Chase, so.: Team’s top distance recruit in 2013, now in first XC season.
Elise Cranny, so.: Many will be watching her closely this season.
Emma Fisher, so.: Overcame fall to be Stanford’s No. 1 at Stanford Invite.
Claire Howlett, fr.: No. 14 on all-time national high school 5,000 list (16:28.71).
Anna Laman, fr.: Reigning Australian junior 1,500 champ and 2014 World Junior finalist.
Abbie McNulty, fr.: Massachusetts All-State two-mile champ has 10:22.03 PR for 3,200.
Rebecca Mehra, jr.: Stanford’s No. 3 at the 2013 Pac-12 Championships.
Claudia Saunders, jr.: 2014 NCAA outdoor 800 runner-up; PR of 2:02.68.
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MEN
Race Overview: No. 6 Stanford joins a 10-team men’s field that includes No. 2 Northern Arizona, No. 5 Portland, No. 7 Indiana, No. 9 Villanova, No. 14 Virginia, No. 21 UCLA, and No. 26 Oklahoma.
Stanford Breakdown: Stanford’s projected top three – Jim and Joe Rosa, and Maksim Korolev – are not part of this group to give the others more of a leadership and team-pacing role against top quality competition. Three Stanford sophomores are in their first cross country seasons after redshirting as true freshmen. Of those, Jack Keelan and Sam Wharton placed among the top four at both the U.S. junior and NACAC cross country championships earlier this year. Fifth-year seniors Michael Atchoo, at anchor, and Marco Bertolotti, at leadoff, were part of Stanford’s NCAA indoor distance medley relay championship foursome.
Stanford’s Lineup:
Michael Atchoo, 5th sr.: 3:57 miler was team’s No. 3 at 2014 NCAA’s.
Marco Bertolotti, 5th sr.: Led off Stanford to NCAA indoor track DMR title.
Patrick Gibson, so.: FootLocker finalist now is in first collegiate XC season.
Jack Keelan, so.: U.S. junior XC runner-up has 5K best of 13:55.59.
Cameron Miller, jr.: Ran as team’s No. 3 at Stanford Invite.
Garrett Sweatt, jr.: Ran No. 5 at Pac-12 and regionals in 2013.
Sam Wharton, so.: Nike Cross Nationals champ in first collegiate season.
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The Season So Far: Stanford has competed in two meets – the USF and Stanford invitationals – but has yet to field its full squad. That probably will happen, or close to it, at the Wisconsin Invitational on Sept. 27. Joe Rosa and Maksim Korolev cruised to a 1-2 finish at the Stanford Invite while the team placed third. The Cardinal women won the Stanford Invite despite not having a runner among the top 10.
Stanford’s Washington Invitational History: This is the first year of the meet.