Photo of Elise Cranny from the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships by Image of Sport.
STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford will be represented by five individuals and two relay teams at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships March 10-11 in College Station, Texas.
The championships fields – 16 in each individual event and 12 in the relays -- were announced Tuesday, based on best marks. There were no surprises for Stanford.
Qualifiers for the Stanford women are Olivia Baker in the 800 meters, Vanessa Fraser and Elise Cranny in the 3,000, and the distance medley relay team. The men will send Harrison Williams in the heptathlon, Jack Keelan in the 3,000, and a DMR.
This is the eighth consecutive year the Stanford men's DMR has qualified, and the sixth consecutive NCAA DMR appearance for the Cardinal women. The two teams have combined for five NCAA DMR titles.
Stanford's closest nonqualifier was Lena Giger in the women's shot put. She missed the final qualifying position by three spots and 6 ¼ inches (0.16 meters). Valarie Allman, who set five school records in the 20-pound weight throw was No. 21 in the final order, also was close, five spots and 9 ½ inches (0.24m) from final qualifier.
If the DMR teams are unchanged from the season-best quartets, Stanford will have 10 individuals competing at NCAA's including first-timers Keelan and relay members Tai Dinger and Brian Smith. This will be the first indoor championships for Gaby Gayles, though she ran the 4x400 at NCAA Outdoors in 2015.
Jack Keelan, a redshirt junior, who is the No. 7 qualifier at 7:51.20. He also is expected to anchor the DMR. By finishing either race, Keelan will achieve his first All-America honor. The schedule allows for a DMR/3,000 double because the relay is on Friday and the 3,000 on Saturday.
The men's DMR, if it follows the lineup that ran the No. 3 time in the country earlier this season, will be Tai Dinger, Jackson Shumway, Brian Smith, and Keelan. Shumway, a fifth-year senior who runs the 400 leg, is the only member of the team with NCAA experience.
The women's DMR probably will be the same lineup that ran its season best at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships: Fraser, Gaby Gayles, Malika Waschmann, and Cranny. Fraser and Gayles are new to the team that was third at NCAA's last year.
Like Keelan, Fraser and Cranny will do double duty, with the DMRs on Friday and the 3,000's on Saturday.
Meet Information and links: Click here.
Women
Olivia Baker, 800 (No. 9, 2:03.41)
Elise Cranny, 3,000 (No. 12, 9:06.35); distance medley relay*
Vanessa Fraser, 3,000 (No. 5, 9:04.78); DMR*
Gaby Gayles, DMR*
Malika Waschmann, DMR*
*No. 8 seed (10:59.82)
Men
Tai Dinger, distance medley relay*
Jack Keelan, 3,000 (No. 7, 7:51.20); DMR*
Jackson Shumway, DMR*
Brian Smith, DMR*
Harrison Williams, heptathlon (No. 7, 5,828)
*No. 3 seed (9:28.72)
Stanford's' NCAA Indoor Championships Schedule:
Friday, March 10
10 a.m. PT (noon CT): Men's heptathlon 60 (Harrison Williams)
10:40 a.m. PT (12:40 p.m. CT): Men's heptathlon long jump (Harrison Williams).
11:50 a.m. PT (1:50 p.m. CT): Men's heptathlon shot put (Harrison Williams)
1 p.m. PT (3 p.m. CT): Men's heptathlon high jump (Harrison Williams)
5:10 p.m. PT (7:10 p.m. CT): Women's 800 semifinals (Olivia Baker).
6:40 p.m. PT (8:40 p.m. CT): Women's distance medley relay (Vanessa Fraser, Gaby Gayles, Malika Waschmann, Elise Cranny).
6:55 p.m. PT (8:55 p.m. CT): Men's distance medley relay (Tai Dinger, Jackson Shumway, Brian Smith, Jack Keelan).
Saturday, March 11
10 a.m. PT (noon CT): Men's heptathlon 60 hurdles (Harrison Williams)
10:50 a.m. PT (12:50 p.m. CT): Men's heptathlon pole vault (Harrison Williams)
1:45 p.m. PT (3:45 p.m. CT): Men's heptathlon 1,000 (Harrison Williams)
4:10 p.m. PT (6:10 p.m. CT): Men's 3,000 final (Jack Keelan)
4:25 p.m. (6:25 p.m. CT): Women's 3,000 final (Elise Cranny, Vanessa Fraser)
