Stanford's Elise Cranny (middle), Colorado's Dani Jones (left), and Oregon's Katie Rainsberger battle during the final strides of the distance medley relay. Photo by Image of Sport.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Elise Cranny rallied Stanford from ninth to first on the anchor leg of the distance medley relay only to be edged on the final step by Colorado at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday.
The Stanford team of Vanessa Fraser, Missy Mongiovi, Malika Waschmann and Cranny ran 11:00.34, falling short by 0.02, with Oregon third in 11:00.68. It was Stanford's third runner-up finish in the past four years in the DMR and fourth consecutive year in the top three.
"We gave it everything we had," Cranny said to Flotrack. "We all did the best we could. We're happy with that."
The Stanford men's distance relay team came in as the No. 3 seed, but suffered a miscue on the final exchange and finished 12th. The Stanford men and women have combined for 22 top-five NCAA DMR finishes.
Olivia Baker advanced to Saturday's women's 800 final as the final qualifier, and Harrison Williams sits 11th after the first day of the seven-event men's heptathlon.
Fraser ran a 3:25.85 split on the 1,200-meter opening leg, giving Missy Mongiovi the baton in sixth. Mongiovi's 53.87 was the third-fastest 400 split and it came in her first NCAA competition. At the second exchange, Stanford was sixth and maintained Waschmann moved the Cardinal up a spot with her 2:06.90 in the 800.
The pack was tight as Cranny fell back to ninth, but maintained contact as Michigan's Gina Sereno led LSU's Morgan Schuetz at the front.
The race unfolded differently than the past three years. Each previous time, Stanford led at the final exchange, only to be overtaken. Cranny was in that position in 2015 when she was dogged by Dominque Scott until the Arkansas runner made a decisive move to win. This time, Cranny was in position to do the hunting.
On a single move, Cranny shifted to the outside and passed five runners. Moments later, she moved into third, and then into second when Indiana's Katherine Receveur had the baton knocked from her hand.
At the bell, Cranny moved up on the shoulder of leader Katie Rainsberger of Oregon, who pushed hard on the backstretch with Cranny in pursuit. Coming off the final turn, Cranny kicked hard and caught Rainsberger on the turn and pulled ahead with 30 meters to go, only for Colorado's Dani Jones to emerge from the shadows to run down the leaders.
Cranny never let up, but Jones had something extra in the final stride to inch in front at the line. Cranny's split was 4:33.76, with Jones ripping off a 4:31.71 to come from ninth on the final exchange.
Cranny said she wished she would have been more cognizant of Jones coming up on her, rather than focusing solely on passing Rainsberger.
"By the time I saw her, she passed me and it was too late to react," she said.
Cranny earned her seventh All-America honor, and her fourth NCAA second-place finish.
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There are two heats of the 800, with only the top three and next two fastest advancing to the final. Baker's chances seemed lost after placing fifth in the opening heat, but was fortunate to capture the last qualifying spot in the eight-runner final with her 2:05.65.
Baker seemed to get off to a good start on the inside, but when the field collapsed in on the break, she found herself boxed in. Baker couldn't shake it and finally had to drop out the back and try to re-emerge among the leaders by moving to the outside.
The problem: Baker expended so much energy to free herself and by running wide, that when she did attempt to make a move, she couldn't sustain it and faded down the stretch. Fortunately for Baker, she gets another chance and the slate is clean.
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Harrison Williams is 11th after the first day of the heptathlon, the same position as last year when he went on to finish fourth. Four events were completed Friday and three remain Saturday.
Williams was solid all around, but would have preferred to run a bit faster than his 7.02 in the first event, the 60 meters, and a bit higher than the 6-4 ¾ height he reached in the high jump. Consequently, Williams fluctuated between ninth and 11th after each event and never was able to make a bold move up the scoring ladder.
His first-attempt long jump of 23-0 ¾ (7.03 meters) was an indoor personal best and got Williams ahead of his school-record pace from last year's NCAA meet after two events. Next, his third-attempt 43-9 ¼ (13.34m) in the shot put was an improvement of 18 inches from his earlier two throws.
Williams finished the day by going 6-4 ¾ (1.95m) in the high jump and has 3,142 points – 26 points behind the pace of his Stanford standard of 5,937 from last year.
Saturday's events are the 60 high hurdles, pole vault, 1,000 – three of Williams' best events.
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NCAA Indoor Championships
At Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium
(200-meter banked track)
Men
Distance medley relay final: 1, Mississippi 9:31.32; 12, Stanford (Tai Dinger, Jackson Shumway, Brian Smith, Jack Keelan) 10:00.77.
Heptathlon (after first day): 1, Tim Duckworth (Kentucky) 3,594; 11, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 3,142.
Williams' results (place in event, mark, points):
First day – 60: 9, 7.02 (875); Long jump: 12, 23-0 ¾, 7.03m (821); Shot put: 7, 43-9 1/4, 13.34m (688); High jump – 10, 6-4 3/4, 1.95m (758). Total: 3,142.
Women
800 semifinal: Heat 1 -- 5, Olivia Baker (Stanford) 2:05.65, qualified for final as 8th).
Distance medley relay final: 1, Colorado 11:00.34; 2, Stanford (Vanessa Fraser, Missy Mongiovi, Malika Waschmann, Elise Cranny) 11:00.36.
* * *
Stanford's Remaining Schedule
Saturday
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)
3:20 p.m. PT (5:20 p.m. CT): Women's 800 final (Olivia Baker)
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)
