Photo of Charles Kerr from Cardinal Classic.
AUSTIN, Texas – Stanford fifth-year senior Charles Kerr unleashed the longest javelin throw of his life to win the Longhorn Invitational on Friday and lead Cardinal throwers to a 1-2 finish.
On his first throw, Kerr fired the javelin 221 feet, 10 inches (67.61 meters) and the mark stood, with teammate Trevor Danielson second at 215-8 (65.74m).
The throw was a personal record for Kerr by 9 feet, 6 inches, and moved him up four spots on Stanford's all-time performers' list to No. 3. Kerr leapfrogged Andrew Rondema, Danielson, Jason Goff, and Aaron Konigsberg on the list, which only includes marks since 1988, when a new javelin was introduced.
Kerr began his Stanford career as a multi-event athlete, was away from the team as a sophomore and returned in 2015 as a javelin thrower/long jumper. Last year, Kerr began to focus on javelin and set four personal bests. This year, he has set two more.
Stanford has brought 21 athletes to the University of Texas, the site of the NCAA West Prelims from May 25-27. Kerr likely has ensured himself a berth in that meet. Those with the top 48 marks in each of the West and the East, after the conference championships, advance.
Longhorn Invitational
At Mike A. Myers Stadium
Friday's results
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
Hammer – 1, Joseph Ellis (Michigan) 227-4 (69.30m); 4, Michael Painter (Stanford) 204-8 (62.38m); 10, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 183-0 (55.79m); 17, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 137-0 (41.76m).
Javelin – 1, Charles Kerr (Stanford) 221-10 (67.61m), PB, No. 3 Stanford AT; 2, Trevor Danielson (Stanford) 215-8 (65.74m); 10, Harrison Williams* (unattached) 161-2 (49.13m).
Women
Hammer – 1, Agnes Esser (Minnesota) 202-3 (61.66m); 12, Lena Giger (Stanford) 182-6 (55.62m).
Javelin – 1, Haley Crouser (Texas) 165-8 (50.51m); 2, Mackenzie Little (Stanford) 164-10 (50.24m); 4, Victoria Smith (Stanford) 136-9 (41.69m).
Stanford's Saturday schedule
8 a.m.: Men's pole vault (Harrison Williams).
8 a.m.: Women's pole vault (Erika Malaspina, Nicole Summersett).
8 a.m.: Men's discus (Landon Ellingson).
8:30 a.m.: Men's triple jump (Jaak Uudmae).
9:30 a.m.: Women's triple jump (Marisa Kwiatkowski).
10:45 a.m.: Men's 110 hurdles (Harrison Williams*).
11 a.m.: Women's 400 (Michaela Crunkleton Wilson).
11:10 a.m.: Men's 400 (Jackson Shumway*).
11:20 a.m.: Women's 100 (Missy Mongiovi).
11:30 a.m.: Men's 100 (Terrence Alexander).
11:45 a.m.: Women's 400 hurdles (Hannah Labrie-Smith, Amber Lewis).
Noon: Men's 400 hurdles (Daniel Brady, Lucas Ege).
Noon: Women's shot put (Lena Giger).
Noon: Men's shot put (Tristen Newman).
12:15 p.m.: Women's 200 (Michaela Crunkleton Wilson).
12:25 p.m.: Men's 200 (Terrence Alexander, Amit Maity, Jackson Shumway*, Harrison Williams*).
12:30 p.m.: Women's long jump (Daryth Gayles, Marisa Kwiatkowski).
1:30 p.m.: Men's 4x400 (Daniel Brady, Lucas Ege, Isaac Westlund, Amit Maity).
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Card Second at Penn Relays
PHILADELPHIA – The Stanford and Villanova women battled again at the Penn Relays, with the Cardinal taking second in the 4x1,500 relay at Franklin Field.
Three times, from 2014-15, Villanova ran down Stanford anchors in women's relay events to win. Unfortunately for Stanford, history repeated itself. In a close two-team race, Villanova's Siofra Cleirigh Buttner overtook Stanford's Elise Cranny to win. Villanova ran 17:25.85 and Stanford's team of Rebecca Mehra, Malika Waschmann, Christina Aragon and Cranny ran 17:27.47.
Stanford will have another chance at the wheel, the unique large round plaque that goes to the winner of each event, when the Cardinal races in the women's 4x800 on Saturday as one of the favorites.
Stanford held the lead at each exchange, with Mehra running a 4:32.6 opening split to give Stanford a narrow lead. Villanova moved up from sixth to second on the second leg, with Malika Waschmann running a 4:19.0 split for Stanford.
Christina Aragon took the baton in a near dead-heat with Villanova and extended it to about a one-second gap. Aragon's 4:22.5 split gave Cranny the baton with small gap. Cranny ran a 4:13.4 split, compared to Buttner's 4:11.6, which was the fastest of anyone in the field.
In high school competition, Stanford recruits both the boys' and girls' 3,000-meter races.
On Friday, Connor Lane, of Cardinal Gibbons High in Raleigh, North Carolina, won with a strong kick, finishing in 8:24.01. Lane found space in a large pack to take the lead midway through the race, but was passed to two runners on the final lap. However, Lane mustered the strength to rally and passed Ryan Lockett of Poolesville (Md.) High with 40 meters to go to earn the victory.
On Thursday, Jessica Lawson of Corning-Painted Post (N.Y.) High ran 9:37.63 to win by more than four seconds.
Penn Relays
At Franklin Field, Philadelphia
Friday's results
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
4x400 relay prelims – 11, Stanford (Colin Dolese, Julian Body, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Frank Kurtz) 3:11.22.
Women
4x1500 relay Invitational – 1, Villanova (Bella Surda, Angel Piccirillo, Nicole Hutchinson, Siofra Cleirigh Buttner) 17:25.85; 2, Stanford (Rebecca Mehra, Malika Waschmann, Christina Aragon, Elise Cranny) 17:27.47.
Stanford's Saturday schedule
1:10 p.m. PT: 4x800 relay invitational (Malika Waschmann, Elise Cranny, Christina Aragon, Olivia Baker).
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Card Runners at Brutus Hamilton
BERKELEY, Calif. – A handful of Stanford middle distance runners will compete in invitational races at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational at Edwards Stadium on Saturday. Among them is junior Tai Dinger, a Pac-12 800 finalist last year, who is finding his footing in the 1,500. His time of 3:45.35 at the Cardinal Classic is the fastest by a Stanford runner this season.
Dinger will run the Don Bowden Mile at 3:30 p.m. The race honors the former Cal star who became the first American to break 4 minutes in the mile, in 1957. Bowden, a Bay Area resident, frequently attends high school and college meets in the area and was at the 123rd Big Meet at Stanford's Cobb Track and Angell Field earlier this month.
Brutus Hamilton Invitational
At Edwards Stadium, Berkeley
Friday's results
Winner and Stanford competitors
Men
800 – 1, Brian Thomas (UC Davis) 1:53.30; 3, Ryan Silva (Stanford) 1:53.65; 5, Nathaniel Kucera (Stanford) 1:57.03.
Stanford's Saturday schedule
3:10 p.m.: Men's Lon Spurrier 800 invitational (Scott Buttinger, Tai Dinger).
3:20 p.m.: Women's Marilyn Davis 1,500 invitational (Maddy Berkson, Danielle Katz, Catherine Pagano, Claire Smith).
3:30 p.m.: Men's Don Bowden Mile invitational (Tai Dinger, Patrick Perrer, Ryan Silva).
