Photo of Vanessa Fraser at 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Stanford women won distance medley relays 2,200 miles apart and Valarie Allman broke her own school record in the 20-pound weight throw to highlight Stanford performances at a pair of indoor track and field meets Friday night.
Allman, a senior discus specialist who was sixth in the Olympic Trials and third at NCAA's, had a toss of 63- 1 ½ (19.24 meters) to break her 2016 mark of 62-8 ½, while finishing second at the UW Invitational in Seattle.
However, the Stanford headliners were Elise Cranny, Gaby Gayles, Olivia Baker, and Rebecca Mehra, who teamed to win the invitational DMR at the Penn State National Open, running 11:01.39 on the 200-meter banked Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. Stanford beat runner-up Penn State by more than 13 seconds.
The time at Penn State was the sixth-fastest in Stanford history and is the No. 1 time in the nation this year, pending full results of Friday's meets around the country. The splits were 3:18.2 over 1,200 meters for Cranny, 54.4 over 400 for Gayles, 2:05.0 over 800 for Baker, and 4:43 over 1,600 for Mehra.
This was the first DMR for Gayles, a junior, who replaced the graduated Kristyn Williams in that spot. Mehra ran a strong pace despite running by herself throughout her anchor leg, and joined Cranny as holdovers from last year's NCAA third-place team.
The 11:01 should get Stanford into the NCAA Championships. The top 16 marks in each event over the course of the season – and top 12 in the relays -- earn passage to indoor nationals. Every DMR team that has run an 11:01 or faster over the past seven years has gotten in.
The Cardinal was second in the men's DMR, despite a scorching 3:59 anchor split from Jack Keelan. The team of freshman Isaac Cortes, Jackson Shumway, Brian Smith and Keelan was second in a tight three-way race. Georgetown won in 9:33.59, with Stanford next in 9:34.15, and Middle Tennessee State close behind in 9:34.52.
"I'm really excited with how both teams ran tonight," said Chris Miltenberg, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field.
The men will make another attempt at a DMR qualifier when they race at Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invitational on Feb. 18.
In Seattle, the Cardinal quartet of Maddy Berkson, Sarah Walker, Catherine Pagano, and Danielle Katz won the DMR in 11:31.98 on the 307-meter flat oval at Dempsey Indoor. The team featured a collegiate debut on the 400 leg by freshman Sarah Walker, the nation's fastest high school 800 runner in 2015. The Cardinal beat runner-up Simon Fraser by more than seven seconds.
Vanessa Fraser ran 15:56.89 to earn a resounding victory in the women's 5,000. Cal's Bethan Knights ran 16:15.54 to finish a distant second. The two dueled in the Big Meet 3,000 last year with Fraser kicking to win with a lean at the line in Berkeley in a matchup of All-Americans.
The time was a personal indoor record by nearly 10 seconds for Fraser, a Scotts Valley High product, who strengthened her hold at No. 7 on Stanford's all-time indoor performers' list.
Fraser, a one-time walk-on, is on the cusp of qualifying for her second consecutive NCAA Indoor meet. Over the past seven years, 15:56.89 would have been enough to get in five times, though not last season, which required at least a 15:53.64.
Both meets continue on Saturday. Among the most anticipated races for Stanford are those involving the Cardinal's redshirting freshmen distance crew. Christina Aragon, the World U-20 Championships bronze medalist last year, and reigning U.S. junior 5,000 champ Fiona O'Keeffe will race unattached in the 3,000.
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Friday's results
Penn State National Open
In University Park, Pa.
200-meter banked track
Men
Distance medley relay – 1, Georgetown 9:33.59; 2, Stanford (Isaac Cortes, Jackson Shumway, Brian Smith, Jack Keelan) 9:34.15.
Women
60 semifinals – 14, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 7.78; Prelims – 12, Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 7.80.
Distance medley relay – 1, Stanford (Elise Cranny, Gaby Gayles, Olivia Baker, Rebecca Mehra) 11:01.39 (No. 6 AT).
60 hurdles prelims – 19, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 9.11.
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UW Invitational
In Seattle
307-meter flat track
Men
200 – 1, Tatenda Tsumba (BYU) 21.48; 14, Frank Kurtz (Stanford) 22.40.
Distance medley relay – 1, Western Oregon 9:45.45; 3, Stanford (Alex Ostberg, Daniel Brady, Scott Buttinger, Tai Dinger) 9:50.04.
Women
200 – 1, Ashley Henderson (San Diego State) 23.57 (meet record); 26, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 25.43.
5,000 – 1, Vanessa Fraser (Stanford) 15:56.89.
Distance medley relay – 1, Stanford (Maddy Berkson, Sarah Walker, Catherine Pagano, Danielle Katz) 11:31.98.
Weight throw – 1, Destiny Parker (Cal) 64-1 /2 (19.54m); 2, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 63-1 ½ (19.24m).
