Photo of Jackson Shumway at 2015 Big Meet by David Bernal/ISIphotos.com.
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Stanford men's distance medley relay team assured itself of a berth in the NCAA Indoor Championships and Valarie Allman broke the school record in the weight throw for the fourth time, on a weekend of track and field.
On Saturday at the Alex Wilson Invitational, the Cardinal team of Tai Dinger, Jackson Shumway, Brian Smith, and Jack Keelan ran 9:28.72 to place second with the third-fastest time in school indoor history, regardless of track size, on the 320-meter flat track at Notre Dame's Loftus Sports Center.
Allman broke her own mark in the 20-pound weight throw, with a toss of 64-10 (19.76 meters) at the Northern Arizona Tune-Up on Friday night. More information about her performance is below.
The men's DMR produced eight of the nation's 11 fastest collegiate times this season, including the top four. The top 12 teams through Feb. 25 earn passage to the NCAA Championships, but Stanford's standing at No. 2 and its time should be enough for the March 10-11 meet in College Station, Texas. Over the past seven years, that time never has failed to achieve qualification.
Dinger opened with a 2:54.6 split for 1,200 meters, and was followed by Shumway at 46.2 for 400, Smith at 1:48.7 for 800, and Keelan at 3:58.6 for 1,600. The times for Shumway and Smith were far under their open personal records for the same distances, Keelan's was on par with his 3:59.62 mile last month, and Dinger's time was fast as well. This was second DMR for Dinger, a redshirt sophomore, but first while running on Stanford's 'A' team.
"Our guys did a great job of really competing tough today instead of getting hung up on times," said Chris Miltenberg, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field. "It was great to see all four of them really step up and know they were ready to do it."
Stanford finished behind only Indiana at 9:28.14, and was just ahead of Oklahoma State (9:28.83) and Minnesota (9:30.48). This may have been the team's last effort to make the NCAA field. With three of the same four runners, the Cardinal ran 9:34.15 at the Penn State National Open on Jan. 27, necessitating another attempt.
Stanford competes at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships next weekend in Seattle in the team's final opportunity to earn NCAA qualifying marks. At this point, Stanford's apparent NCAA qualifiers are: the men's and women's DMR teams, Keelan in the 3,000, Harrison Williams in the heptathlon, and Vanessa Fraser in the women's 3,000. Elise Cranny is in position at No. 11 of a 16-runner field in the women's 3,000, but is best classified as on the bubble heading into conference championship weekend.
Saturday's results
Alex Wilson Invitational
At Loftus Sports Center
320-meter flat track
Men
Distance medley relay – 1, Indiana 9:28.14; 2, Stanford (Tai Dinger, Jackson Shumway, Brian Smith, Jack Keelan) 9:28.72.
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Allman breaks own school record
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Stanford senior Valarie Allman broke the school record in the 20-pound weight throw for the fourth time in her past five tries, throwing 64-10 (19.76 meters) to place third at the Northern Arizona Tune-Up at the Lawrence Walkup Skydome on Friday night.
Before Friday, Allman, a two-time Pac-12 discus champion and an NCAA outdoor All-America in the discus and hammer, broke the mark three times on the same ring at University of Washington's Dempsey Indoor facility. This was her first school record at a different venue.
Allman's previous best of 63-11 ¾ (19.50m) was set six days earlier, at the Husky Classic. She topped that on her third attempt, with a toss of 64-3 ¼ (19.59m), and exceeded that on her fifth try, with her top mark.
This is Allman's second season in the weight throw. She has improved 4 feet, 9 inches from her debut in the event last year. Despite her progress, Allman will needs another record to have a chance at NCAA qualifying. The No. 16 mark is 66-9 ¼, but even that likely won't hold up through next weekend.
In the women's shot put, Stanford's Lena Giger had a season-best 52-9 ¼ to place second.
Friday's results
NAU Tune-Up
At Lawrence Walkup Skydome
Women
Shot put – 1, Portious Warren (Central Arizona) 53-8 ¼ (16.36m); 2, Lena Giger (Stanford) 52-9 ¼ (16.08m).
Weight throw – 1, Brooke Andersen (Northern Arizona) 71-0 ¾ (21.66m); 3, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 64-10 (19.76m), school record.
