Photo of Olivia Baker from 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships 800-meter final by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Ten Stanford athletes will compete in a total of six events at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which begin Friday at Texas A&M's Gilliam Indoor Stadium.
Five women and five men will represent the Cardinal. The Stanford women are coming off three consecutive top-20 finishes and the men were eighth last year, their best finish in five years.
Stanford figures to have national championship contenders in nearly every event it competes in.
The centerpieces of Stanford's schedule are the distance medley relays -- Stanford's men have qualified for the eighth consecutive year, and the women are on a six-year streak. The Stanford men's DMR team comes in at No. 3, the highest seeding of any Stanford team or competitor this year.
Among Stanford's individuals, Olivia Baker and Elise Cranny have been NCAA runners-up either indoors or outdoors, and will run the 800 and 3,000, respectively. Harrison Williams also is a title contender, in the seven-event, two-day heptathlon.
Cranny and Vanessa Fraser double in the women's DMR and 3,000, with the races one day apart, and Jack Keelan will do the same for the men. In the off-chance that Baker does not advance to the 800 final, she could double in the DMR.
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MEET INFORMATION
NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
Where: College Station, Texas
Site: Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium (4,100)
Track: 200-meter banked
Full schedule: Click here.
Follow the Action:
Live results: Click here.
Entries/Start lists: Click here.
Meet Central: Click here.
TV/Webstream:
Friday - ESPN3.com (live, 3:25 p.m. PT)
Saturday - ESPN3.com (live, 1:55 p.m. PT)
Sunday – ESPN2 (tape-delayed, 4 p.m. PT)
Twitter: @stanfordXCTF
Stanford in USTFCCCA rankings:
Men - No. 28
Women - No. 22
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STANFORD ENTRANTS
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)
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STANFORD SCHEDULE
Friday
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
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)
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STANFORD EVENTS
(In chronological order)
MEN'S HEPTATHLON (Friday and Saturday)
Stanford record: 5,937, Harrison Williams (2016)
Best Stanford mark at NCAA Indoors: 5,937, Harrison Williams (2016)
Highest Stanford place: 2nd, Josh Hustedt (2008).
Harrison Williams: So., Memphis, Tenn. (Memphis University School)
Seed: No. 7 (5,828 points)
Notes: Harrison Williams, now a junior, was fourth last year and is the top returning finisher. For the first time at an NCAA championship meet, Williams is a threat to win. Williams comes in as the No. 7 seed, but that doesn't mean much to an athlete with three top-five finishes in NCAA multis already. The season's top-scorer, Minnesota's Luca Wieland, is out with an injury, which makes the competition even more wide open. Texas A&M's Lindon Victor is the reigning NCAA decathlon champion and will be competing at home, but Williams is the only other top-6 finisher from last year's NCAA decathlon competing this weekend. Williams, whose best is 5,937 points, will be seeking to break the 6,000-point barrier and become Stanford's first men's NCAA multi-event champion.
Major: Engineering.
Personal record: 5,937 points (2016).
WOMEN'S 800 (semifinals Friday, final Saturday)
Stanford record: 2:03.25, Justine Fedronic (2014)
Best Stanford mark at NCAA Indoors: 2:04.73, Olivia Baker (2016)
Highest Stanford place: 3rd, Olivia Baker (2016).
Olivia Baker: Jr., South Orange, N.J. (Columbia HS)
Seed: No. 9 (2:03.41)
Notes: Olivia Baker, a junior, had a breakthrough performance at NCAA Indoors last year, finishing third, and followed with a runner-up at NCAA Outdoors. She captured her second consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title two weeks ago when she faced off against Oregon's three-time NCAA champ Raevyn Rogers. Baker was on Rogers' shoulder with 150 left, before Rogers stepped off the track in a planned move and Baker went on to win easily. Baker hasn't beaten Rogers in five races over the past two years, and probably will be overlooked in this one. The projected duel between Rogers and Texas A&M's Jazmine Fray, who has the season's best time of 2:00.67, is being hyped, but Baker should only be discounted at their peril.
Major: Human biology.
Personal records: 2:01.02 (2016, outdoors); 2:03.41 (2017, indoors).
WOMEN'S DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY (Friday)
Stanford record: 10:53.66 (2015; Jessica Tonn, Olivia Baker, Claudia Saunders, Elise Cranny).
Best Stanford mark at NCAA Indoors: Same as above.
Highest Stanford place: 1st (Sally Glynn, Jayna Smith, Lindsay Hyatt, Lauren Fleshman), 2000.
Seed: No. 8 (10:59.82).
In order:
Vanessa Fraser: RS Jr., Scotts Valley, Calif. (Scotts Valley HS)
Notes: Vanessa Fraser ran her first relay as a collegian at the MPSF Championships two weeks ago, helping the Cardinal DMR to a runner-up finish. She will be making her second go at NCAA's. Though Fraser was knocked off her feet at the gun, she took advantage of the restart to put the Cardinal in good position, in second place. She will run the 3,000 on Saturday.
Major: Symbolic systems with a concentration on neuroscience.
Personal records: 4:19.45 (1,500, outdoors, 2016); 9:04.78 (3,000, indoors, 2017); 15:41.64 (5,000, outdoors, 2016).
Gaby Gayles: Jr., Merritt Island, Fla. (Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy)
Notes: Gaby Gayles, a junior, has been part of Stanford's 'A' 4x400 team since her freshman season and has branched out beautifully to the DMR this year. Gayles ran a 54.4 split during Stanford's MPSF effort, maintaining second place. Her twin sister, Daryth, is a long jumper at Stanford.
Major: Human biology
Personal records: 53.59 (400, outdoors, 2016); 53.97 (400, indoors, 2017)
Malika Waschmann: Sr., Corvallis, Ore. (Corvallis HS)
Notes: Malika Waschmann and Elise Cranny are the holdovers from last year's NCAA team, but Waschmann is the only one returning in the same spot, on the third leg. She earned All-America honors last year by helping the Cardinal to third at this meet. She ran a 2:07.7 split during the MPSF meet. If Olivia Baker does not advance in the 800, there is a possibility she could run this leg on Friday night.
Major: Human biology.
Personal records: 2:05.33 (indoors, oversized track, 2016); 2:05.47 (indoors, standard track, 2016).
Elise Cranny: Jr., Niwot, Colo. (Niwot HS).
Notes: This is the third NCAA DMR for Cranny, who returns to the anchor leg after assuming that role as a freshman in 2015 when she helped the Cardinal finish second. Last year, she led off Stanford's third-place team. Cranny will follow Saturday in the 3,000.
Major: Human biology.
Personal records: 4:09.54 (1,500, outdoors, 2016); 4:38.44 (mile, indoors, 2016).
MEN'S DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY (Friday)
Stanford record: 9:27.27 (2016; Tom Coyle, Jackson Shumway, Justin Brinkley, Sean McGorty).
Best Stanford mark at NCAA Indoors: 9:28.83 (2000; Gabe Jennings, Evan Kelty, Michael Stember, Jonathon Riley).
Highest Stanford place: 1st (2000, 2001, 2007, 2014).
Seed: No. 3 (9:28.72)
In order:
Tai Dinger: RS So., Washington, D.C. (St. Albans School).
Notes: Tai Dinger found his niche in the 800 last spring, reaching the Pac-12 final and further established himself on Feb. 18 at the Alex Wilson Invitational. While running on Stanford 'A' DMR for the first time, Dinger led off with a 2:54.6 split that put the Cardinal on pace for NCAA qualification and the third-fastest time in school history.
Major: Molecular and cell biology.
Personal records: 1:49.73 (800, outdoors, 2015); 4:03.63 (Mile, indoors, 2017).
Jackson Shumway: 5th Sr., Winnetka, Ill. (Deerfield Academy, Mass.).
Notes: Jackson Shumway is a two-time Pac-12 400 hurdles runner-up, who has established himself as a top relay racer. He is a member of three school-record relay teams – the indoor and outdoor 4x400 and the DMR. Last spring, he anchored Stanford to its first conference men's title in the 4x400/mile relay since 1954. This will be his final collegiate race. He is graduating this quarter with a double major of economics and political science.
Majors: Economics and political science.
Personal records: 47.06 (400, indoors, oversized track, 2017); 47.44 (400, indoors, standard track, 2017).
Brian Smith: RS Fr., Amstelveen, Netherlands (International School of Amsterdam).
Notes: Brian Smith may have cemented his DMR spot on the 800 leg for the next four years with his performances this year. Smith is the son of four-time Space Shuttle astronaut Steven L. Smith and would like to win a national championship like his father, a captain of Stanford's 1980 NCAA champion water polo team and two-time NCAA champ. Smith ran a 1:48.7 split at the Alex Wilson Invitational.
Major: Undeclared.
Personal records: 1:50.53 (800, outdoors, 2016); 1:50.72 (800, indoors, oversized track, 2017).
Jack Keelan: RS Jr., La Grange Park, Ill. (St. Ignatius College Prep).
Notes: With the absence of cross country All-Americans Sean McGorty and Grant Fisher during the indoor season, Jack Keelan has established himself as an elite runner in his own right. This is his first NCAA appearance indoors or outdoors. Keelan ran his first sub-4 mile, with a 3:59.62 to win the Penn State National on Jan. 28. In two appearances as the DMR anchor this season, Keelan has been sub-4 over 1,600 both times. Keelan also races the 3,000 on Saturday.
Major: Product design.
Personal records: 3:59.62 (mile, indoors, standard track, 2017).
MEN'S 3,000 (Saturday)
Stanford record: 7:46.81, Chris Derrick (2012).
Best Stanford mark at NCAA indoors: 7:46.81, Chris Derrick (2012).
Highest Stanford place: 1st, Elliott Heath (2011).
Jack Keelan: RS Jr., La Grange Park, Ill. (St. Ignatius College Prep).
Seed: No. 7 (7:51.20).
Notes: This is the fourth consecutive year that Stanford will have representation in the men's 3,000. Keelan enters as the No. 7 seed and will have to deal with the likes of Oregon's 15-time NCAA champ Ed Cheserek and Syracuse NCAA cross country runner-up Justyn Knight. However, this has been Keelan's year and he may have further surprises.
Major: Product design.
Personal record: 7:51.20 (indoors, 2017).
WOMEN'S 3000 (Saturday)
Stanford record: 8:53.1, PattiSue Plumer (1983).
Best Stanford mark at NCAA indoors: 8:58.88, Elise Cranny (2015).
Highest Stanford place: 1st, Lauren Fleshman (2002); PattiSue Plumer (2-mile, 1983).
Elise Cranny: Jr., Niwot, Colo. (Niwot HS).
Seed: No. 12 (9:06.35).
Notes: Elise Cranny comes in as the No. 12 seed, but she showed her potential in this event when she placed second at this meet and set an American junior record of 8:58.88 in 2015. Eight of the 16 runners are from Pac-12 schools (or, in this case, MPSF schools) and Cranny is familiar with most of her competitors. The field includes Missouri's NCAA cross country champ Karissa Schweizer and Oregon freshman Katie Rainsberger, the top seed. Cranny has three NCAA runner-up finishes in her career (two individual, one relay) and is seeking her first championship.
Major: Human biology.
Personal record: 8:58.88 (indoors, 2015).
Vanessa Fraser: RS Jr., Scotts Valley, Calif. (Scotts Valley HS).
Seed: No. 5 (9:04.78).
Notes: Vanessa Fraser is a two-time qualifier in this event and enters with the No. 5 seed. She took command of this race during the loaded Husky Classic, leading a chase pack and overtaking the leader. Though she finished third, she is running with confidence and could be in line for her top NCAA individual finish, which stands at 10th from last year's NCAA Indoor meet.
Major: Symbolic systems with a concentration on neuroscience.
Personal records: 9:04.78 (indoors, oversized track, 2017), 9:14.06 (indoors, standard track, 2016).
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DMR TRADITION
Stanford's men and women have combined for five NCAA titles -- four for the men and one for the women -- and 21 top-five finishes in the distance medley relays (11 for the men and 10 for the women). This is the eighth consecutive year Stanford has qualified a men's DMR team and the sixth consecutive year for the women.
In no other event has Stanford won more NCAA indoor titles or has as much overall success. The Stanford women were third last year after a pair of runner-up finishes, and the men were fourth in 2016 and last won the title in 2014. Previous Stanford winners included Garrett Heath (2007), and Olympians Gabe Jennings (2000, 2001), Jonathon Riley (2000), and Michael Stember (2000). Stanford's 2000 women's title team was anchored by five-time NCAA champion Lauren Fleshman.
