Photo of Jack Keelan from the 2015 Penn Relays by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
AMES, Iowa – In his first race since his first sub-4 mile two weeks ago, Stanford's Jack Keelan continued his torrid pace with a likely NCAA qualifier in the 3,000 meters at the Iowa State Classic indoor track and field meet Friday.
The redshirt junior clocked a personal best 7:51.20 to place fourth, and was the third collegian, in a fast race on the 300-meter flat surface at Lied Recreation Sports Center. He is now No. 6 on Stanford's all-time indoor performers' list, moving ahead of Stanford greats Grant Robison, Brad Hauser, and Jake Riley.
Stanford is competing in four meets this weekend, and Keelan's performance headlined strong efforts that included another huge personal best in the 35-pound weight throw by Tristen Newman at the Husky Classic in Seattle.
By competing at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 10-11 in College Station, Texas, Keelan would earn his first All-America honor. The top 16 earn passage to nationals and Keelan is in a great position. Over the past seven years, no one under 7:52.9 has failed to get in.
"He is a great example of a guy in our program who has steadily developed and built confidence with each race," said Chris Miltenberg, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field. "He has been moving toward this steadily for a long time."
The race was billed as a matchup between Justyn Knight of Syracuse and Grant Fisher, but the Stanford sophomore was held out as a precaution because of a sore hip. Regardless, the race was spectacular.
Keelan, who ran a 3:59.62 mile to win the Penn State National Open on Jan. 28, began cautiously. However, he soon moved into the lead pack of six and stood his ground even as the pace heated up. Knight made a big move late in the race, but Tulsa's Marc Scott closed with a 41.61 final 300 to edge Knight at the line.
Still, Keelan never wavered and closed with his fastest laps, 46.43 and 45.08. The result was a personal best, well under his 7:54.62 best of two years ago.
"Jack did a great job of really engaging in the race and competing tonight," Miltenberg said.
The coach has worked with Keelan on focusing on his own race and "not getting caught up in what everybody else is doing," Keelan said. "I really just got excited to just get out there and race and see what I could do. When the leaders started to make their move, I just went with them without really thinking about it too much and I tried to have as much fun as I could with it.
"It's fun racing well, but it's been something that me and Coach Milt have been working toward for four years now. It's awesome to see it all come together."
Keelan was among four Cardinal distance runners to establish personal bests Friday in Ames. Others were: Sophie Chase in the women's 3,000 (eighth, 9:17.95), Tai Dinger in the men's mile (fifth, 4:03.63), and Blair Hurlock in the men's 5,000 (fifth, 14:18.41).
Chase had a six-second improvement on her lifetime best and ran with a courageous effort in which she boldly moved into third place on the penultimate lap and tried to reel in the leaders, which included NCAA cross country champion Karissa Schweizer.
Chase paid for it on the final lap, dropping five places down the stretch, but that didn't take away from her coach's appreciation.
"She is another example of someone who has worked and overcome adversity and is running the her very best during her senior year because of that resilient mindset," Miltenberg said. "It's an awesome example for the whole team."
Iowa State Classic
At Lied Recreation Athletic Center
(300-meter flat track)
Men
Mile – 1, Andy Trouard (Northern Arizona) 4:00.81; 5, Tai Dinger (Stanford) 4:03.63 (PB); 17, Isaac Cortes (Stanford) 4:11.66.
3,000 invitational – 1, Marc Scott (Tulsa) 7:47.57; 4, Jack Keelan (Stanford) 7:51.20 (PB; No. 6 Stanford all-time).
5,000 – 1, Wyatt McGuire (Nebraska) 14:11.76; 5, Blair Hurlock (Stanford) 14:18.41 (PB).
Women
3,000 invitational – 1, Karissa Schweizer (Missouri) 9:06.60; 8, Sophie Chase (Stanford) 9:17.95 (PB); 11, Danielle Katz (Stanford) 9:27.43; 17, Julia Maxwell (Stanford) 9:30.83.
5,000 invitational – 1, Allie Buchalski (Stanford) 15:46.86; 23, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 16:50.51.
PB = personal best
* * *
Newman's big day
SEATTLE – Stanford junior Tristen Newman set a massive personal record in the 35-pound weight throw at the Husky Classic and established his third PR in as many meets this season, all on University of Washington's Dempsey Indoor ring.
Newman entered the meet with a best of 60-10 (18.54 meters), but exceeded that on four of his six throws, finishing at 62-9 ½ (19.14) for fourth place. Newman has exceeded his 2016 best of 58-1 by more than 4 ½ feet.
First-year Stanford throws coach Zeb Sion credits the genesis of Newman's improvement to his off-season work in the weight room with performance coach Allison Bradshaw Ledesma.
"Tristen is definitely understanding the event at a higher level, which has made him more consistent technically," Sion said. "I would say his feel for the weight and hammer has improved significantly since we first started working together.
"It's also exciting because I expect him to have an even better hammer season because of his technique and speed."
Newman, who moved up a spot to No. 7 on Stanford's all-time indoor performers' list, competes in the shot put Saturday and Sion said indications are that he is poised for a breakout season in that event too.
Husky Classic
Dempsey Indoor
Men
Weight throw – 1, Zeb Hoffman (unattached) 67-11 ¾ (20.72m); 4, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 62-9 ½ (19.14m), PB (No. 7 Stanford all-time).
* * *
Reichenbach ties personal best
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stanford's Rachel Reichenbach tied her personal best in the high jump, at 5-8 3/4 (1.75m) while placing fifth at the Don Kirby Invitational.
The mark was a collegiate career best and vaulted her not only into the Stanford's indoor top-10 list, but all the way to No. 4. This was her first competition since the redshirt sophomore jumped an encouraging 5-7 to open the season. Reichenbach opened with a first-try clearance at 5-5 and made her second tries at 5-7 and 5-8 3/4 before going out at 5-10 3/4, which was the winning height.
Stanford brought sprinters and jumpers to the Albuquerque Convention Center, with Isaiah Brandt-Sims running a strong 21.62 for ninth in the 200. It was Brandt-Sims' first indoor 200 and came on a tight 200-meter banked track.
Don Kirby Invitational
Albuquerque Convention Center
(200-meter banked track)
Men
60 – Qualifying: 9, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 6.91.
200 – 1, Rai Benjamin (UCLA) 20.76; 9, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 21.62; 26, Colin Dolese (Stanford) 21.99 (PB). DQ, Isaac Westlund (Stanford).
High jump -- 1, Michael Burke (UCLA) 7-2 1/2 (2.20m); 22, Trevor Rex (Stanford) 6-2 3/4 (1.90m).
Women
60 – Qualifying: 35, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 7.70.
60 hurdles – Qualifying: 19, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 8.84 (PB).
200 – 1, Hannah Cunliffe (Oregon) 22.60; 24, Gaby Gayles (Stanford) 24.51; 31, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 24.66; 47, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 25.02; 48, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 25.04.
Long jump -- 1, Shanice McPherson (Northern Arizona) 19-11 1/2 (6.08m); 32, Marisa Kwiatkowski (Stanford) 18-0 1/4 (5.49m).
High jump -- 1, Kaysee Pilgrim (UNLV) 5-10 3/4 (1.80m); 5, Rachel Reichenbach (Stanford) 5-8 3/4 (1.75m) (PB)
