EUGENE, Ore. -- The first NCAA championship Stanford ever won was in track and field -- 90 years ago. Stanford has maintained a strength in the sport ever since and begins competition at the venerable meet on Wednesday.
The meet continues for four days before not only concluding the Stanford track season, but closes out all Cardinal athletics for the 2014-15 academic year.
Fourteen Cardinal athletes -- four men and 10 women -- are set to compete. Six are in their first seasons of eligibility and 11 are underclassmen. However, there is a definite veteran presence, with fifth-year senior distance runners Jessica Tonn and Erik Olson.
Tonn is Stanford's highest-rated athlete, coming into the meet as the national leader in the 5,000. Also, two Cardinal middle-distance runners have proven themselves nationally and are seeking their first national titles. Claudia Saunders was the NCAA outdoor runner-up in the 800 last season and freshman Elise Cranny, who will run the 1,500, was the NCAA indoor 3,000 runner-up.
Freshman Harrison Williams, who broke the 63-year-old school record in the decathlon while finishing second in the Pac-12 Championships, will try again, this time with much higher stakes.
The following is a guide to following Stanford at the 94th annual meet:
Meet Information:
What: NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Where: Eugene, Ore.
Site: Hayward Field
Events begin:
Wednesday: 11 a.m.; Thursday: 10 a.m.; Friday: 4 p.m.; Saturday: 1:30 p.m.
Live results/Schedule: Click here
Stanford in USTFCCCA rankings:
Women - No. 16
Men - No. 24
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TV Schedule:
Wednesday: ESPN3: 11 a.m.-7:45 p.m.; ESPNU: 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Thursday: ESPN3: 10 a.m.-7:45 p.m.; ESPNU: 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.; ESPN: 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Friday: ESPN3: 4 p.m.-7:15 p.m.; ESPN: 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday: ESPN3: 1:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m.; ESPN2: 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
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Stanford competitors, with season-bests:
Men
5,000: Sean McGorty, so. (13:48.13); Erik Olson, 5th sr. (13:36.77).
Pole vault: Dylan Duvio, so. (18-1 3/4).
Decathlon: Harrison Williams, fr. (7,679)
Women
800: Olivia Baker, fr. (2:04.00); Claudia Saunders, jr. (2:01.79)
1,500: Elise Cranny, fr. (4:14.05).
5,000: Vanessa Fraser, so. (15:54.12); Jessica Tonn, 5th sr. (15:18.85).
4x400 Relay: Kristyn Williams, jr.; Olivia Baker, fr.; Gaby Gayles, fr.; Claudia Saunders, jr. (3:35.15).
Discus: Valarie Allman, so. (188-7).
Javelin: Victoria Smith, so. (156-5).
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Stanford Schedule
Wednesday
11:30 a.m.: Men’s decathlon 100 (Harrison Williams)
12:15 p.m.: Men’s decathlon long jump (Harrison Williams)
1:30 p.m.: Men’s decathlon shot put (Harrison Williams)
2:45 p.m.: Men’s decathlon high jump (Harrison Williams)
4 p.m.: Men’s pole vault final (Dylan Duvio)
5:44 p.m.: Men’s decathlon 400 (Harrison Williams)
Thursday
10 a.m.: Men’s decathlon 110 hurdles (Harrison Williams)
11 a.m.: Men’s decathlon discus (Harrison Williams)
1 p.m.: Men’s decathlon pole vault (Harrison Williams)
3:15 p.m.: Men’s decathlon javelin (Harrison Williams)
4:14 p.m.: Women’s 1,500 semifinals (Elise Cranny)
5:30 p.m.: Women’s javelin final (Victoria Smith)
5:44 p.m.: Women’s 800 semifinals (Olivia Baker, Claudia Saunders)
6:28 p.m.: Men’s decathlon 1,500 (Harrison Williams)
7:18 p.m.: Women’s 4x400 relay (Pool: Olivia Baker, Gaby Gayles, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson, Claudia Saunders, Kristyn Williams).
Friday
6:30 p.m.: Men’s 5,000 final (Sean McGorty, Erik Olson)
Saturday
1:35 p.m.: Women’s discus final (Valarie Allman)
2:15 p.m.: Women’s 1,500 final (Elise Cranny)
3:20 p.m.: Women’s 800 final (Olivia Baker, Claudia Saunders)
4 p.m.: Women’s 5,000 final (Vanessa Fraser, Jessica Tonn)
4:20 p.m.: Women’s 4x400 relay final (Pool: Olivia Baker, Gaby Gayles, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson, Claudia Saunders, Kristyn Williams).
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Men's Notes: Stanford brings three underclassmen and a fifth-year senior to nationals. For Sean McGorty and Harrison Williams, this could be the first of a long run to the NCAA Championships. Williams, a true freshman, already has broken a Stanford decathlon record that had stood since 1952, and is on the verge of his first All-America honor. McGorty is ready to take the figurative baton from Erik Olson, in his final collegiate 5,000 race, as the face of Stanford men’s distance running. McGorty, a redshirt freshman, is racing in his first NCAA outdoor championship meet, joining Olson as Card sub-13:40 runners in the 5,000. That event has been one of the Cardinal’s most successful in recent years, with 15 top-five men’s finishes since 1998. Sophomore Dylan Duvio is the No. 2 vaulter in school history (18-1 3/4) and on the verge of breaking into the national elite.
Women's Notes: Stanford has seven freshmen or sophomores among its 10 women qualifiers, giving a strong indication of the Cardinal’s future. However, a veteran, fifth-year senior Jessica Tonn, comes in with the strongest credentials. She is the collegiate leader in the 5,000, by virtue of her 15:18.85 at the Payton Jordan Invitational. It was the No. 7 mark all-time among American collegians. She leads a strong group of five distance runners that also includes 2014 NCAA outdoor 800 runner-up Claudia Saunders, NCAA indoor 3,000 runner-up Elise Cranny, a freshman who will run the 1,500. Another freshman, Olivia Baker has limitless potential in the 800. She focused on the event for the first time and has a season-best of 2:04.00. Sophomore Vanessa Fraser has improved consistently since the indoor season and has dropped her best 5,000 down to 15:54.12.
In the field events, sophomore Valarie Allman has advanced to her second NCAA championship meet and is another potential national champion. She was the 2014 U.S. junior champ and second at the IAAF World Junior Championships in the same Hayward Field ring. Among throwers, she is joined by Victoria Smith, a Canadian sophomore javelin thrower in her first NCAA meet.
The Cardinal 4x400 team has advanced as well, potentially running three true freshmen -- Baker, Gaby Gaybles, and Michaela Crunkleton Wilson -- along with junior Kristyn Williams. Saunders also could join the quartet.
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On a Roll: Jessica Tonn, ran the fastest women’s collegiate 5,000 this year when she clocked 15:18.85 at the Payton Jordan Invitational on her home track May 2. The time places her No. 7 on the all-time American collegiate list. Tonn finished 13th in a field that included an Olympic silver medalist and 15 runners who beat the World Championships qualifying standard, including Tonn. She broke her personal record by 14 seconds and moved past three-time NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter champion Lauren Fleshman into No. 2 on Stanford’s all-time list and No. 2 in Pac-12 history. She is a two-time Pac-12 10,000 champion.
Back for more: Stanford freshman Harrison Williams broke Stanford’s oldest track and field record – the decathlon mark set by Bob Mathias in winning the gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Mathias scored a world-record 7,887 points, a total that has been adjusted to 7,592 to reflect changes in the scoring tables. Williams scored 7,679 to finish second in the Pac-12 Championships. Williams jumped to No. 3 on the all-time U.S. junior list.
Distance strength: The Stanford men have combined for 15 top-five NCAA outdoor finishes in the 5,000 since 1998, and have an opportunity for two more with Sean McGorty and Erik Olson competing in the event. For its strength in the distances, the Cardinal has not won an NCAA outdoor title in the distance events since Ryan Hall and Ian Dobson went 1-2 in the 5,000 in 2005.
Oldest record: Since Bob Mathias’ decathlon record, which held strong since 1952, was broken by Harrison Williams this year, Stanford’s oldest record is now the 200 meters. Larry Questad, a 1964 Olympian, set the record of 20.74 in 1963. The record was matched in 1978 by NFL Hall of Famer James Lofton. Questad’s time is converted from a hand-timed 20.6 for 220 yards. Lofton’s is converted from a hand-timed 20.5 for 200 meters. With no 200-meter qualifiers at the NCAA Championships this year, the record will be safe until 2016.
National Championship History: Stanford was one of the collegiate track and field’s first powers, winning three NCAA men’s titles from 1925-34. The Cardinal has returned to strength in recent years, winning a men’s championship in 2000. Over the past 16 years (since 1998), Stanford’s teams have combined for 21 top-10 team finishes -- 11 for the women and 10 for the men. Stanford has won 62 individual outdoor championships. The men claim 44 titles by 34 individuals. The women have won 18 titles by 14 individuals. Stanford has had three champions in the past three years: Kori Carter (2013 women’s 400 hurdles), Amaechi Morton (2012 men’s 400 hurdles), and Katerina Stefanidi (2012 women’s pole vault). In addition, the Card men won the 2014 NCAA indoor title in the distance medley relay.