Photo of Christina Aragon from Friday's 4x1,500 relay.
PHILADELPHIA – The Stanford women's 4x800 relay team finished third at the 123rd Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Saturday.
Malika Waschmann made a move with 250 meters left on the third leg to give Stanford the lead on the final exchange. Oliva Baker, on the anchor, held it until the final 300 meters when she was overtaken by Villanova's Siofra Cleirigh Buttner. Penn State's Danae Rivers slipped ahead of Baker on a late move for second.
Stanford's team of Rebecca Mehra, Christina Aragon, Waschmann, and Baker ran 8:26.89 in a bid for the school's first victory in the event since 2005. However, this year's team ran five seconds faster than the 2005 squad.
Aragon, a freshman, found herself in a duel with Villanova's fifth-year senior Angel Piccirillo on the second leg. On a crowded first exchange, Stanford was fifth and Villanova sixth before Piccirillo (2:03.62) and Aragon (2:03.99) uncoiled the fastest splits of the race to string out the pack.
Mehra ran 2:08.77 to open, and Waschmann split 2:07.48 while moving Stanford from second. Baker completed the race with a 2:06.67 split.
The Stanford men's 4x400 relay team ran a season-best 3:10.53 to place seventh in the college final. Frank Kurtz anchored Stanford in 46.39 – the fourth-fastest split of the 36 in the race. Isaiah Brandt-Sims split 47.30 on the third leg for the Cardinal. It was the team's best of the year by 1.2 seconds.
Penn Relays
At Franklin Field
Saturday results
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
4x400 college relay – 1, Virginia Tech 3:08.75; 7, Stanford (Colin Dolese, Julian Body, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Frank Kurtz) 3:10.53.
Women
4x800 Championship of America invitational relay – 1, Villanova 8:24.87; 3, Stanford (Rebecca Mehra, Christina Aragon, Malika Waschmann, Olivia Baker) 8:26.89.
* * *
Brady back in form
AUSTIN, Texas – Daniel Brady has raced the 400-meter hurdles three times this season, and his time has dropped substantially his past two meets.
The Stanford junior ran a season-best 52.78 to capture third at the Longhorn Invitational – a 0.43 improvement upon his time at the Cardinal Classic last week and 2.06 seconds faster than his season opener at the Big Meet against Cal.
Brady is back in the territory of his personal best of 51.93, which he hit while placing third at the Canadian Championships last year.
In the men's pole vault, Stanford redshirt decathlete Harrison Williams cleared 17-0 ¾ (5.20 meters) to win Section B. It was his first competitive vault since going 17-7 (5.36m) in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
Williams passed at 17-2 (5.25m) and 17-4 (5.30m) before three unsuccessful tries at 17-6 (5.35m).
Stanford's top finisher Saturday was Lena Giger, who was second in the shot put at 54-3 ¾ (16.55m). Giger briefly took the lead on her opening throw, of 54-3 ¾ (16.55m), but Texas freshman Elena Bruckner, out of San Jose's Valley Christian High, immediately answered at 54-8 ¼ (16.67m) on her first attempt and it held up for the victory.
In the women's long jump, Stanford junior Daryth Gayles reached 20-6 ¼ (6.25m), a personal record for all conditions, to place third. The jump was aided by a 2.7 meters per second wind, just 0.7 over the allowable limit for record purposes. But the jump will count toward NCAA West Prelims qualifying. The mark came on her sixth and final jump.
Longhorn Invitational
At Mike A. Myers Stadium
Saturday results
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
200 – 1, Aldrich Bailey (Texas) 19.99w; 17, Jackson Shumway (unattached) 21.52w; 25, Amit Maity (Stanford) 22.28w.
400 – 1, Aldrich Bailey (Texas) 46.19; 5, Jackson Shumway (unattached) 47.16;
110 hurdles – 1, Shane Braithwaite (Adidas) 13.39w; 7, Harrison Williams (unattached) 14.29w.
400 hurdles – 1, Taylor McLaughlin (Michigan) 52.00; 3, Daniel Brady (Stanford) 52.78; 7, Lucas Ege (Stanford) 54.75.
Pole vault, section B – 1, Harrison Williams (unattached) 17-0 ¾ (5.20m).
Long jump -- 1, Fabrice Lapierre (Nike) 27-10 3/4w (8.50m); 5, Jaak Uudmae (Stanford) 25-9 1/4w (7.85m), 24-8 1/2 (7.53m), PB.
Triple jump – 1, Samuel Trigg (New Mexico) 52-10 3/4w (16.12m); Jaak Uudmae (Stanford), fouls.
Shot put – 1, Willie Morrison (Indiana) 61-6 ¾ (18.76m); 3, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 59-1 ¼ (18.01m).
Discus – 1, Brian Peterson (Texas) 185-4 (56.51m); 10, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 157-6 (48.01m).
Women
100 – 1, Alexandria Anderson (Nike) 10.95w; 12, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 12.05w.
200 – 1, Alexandria Anderson (Nike) 22.58; 7, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 24.19w; 10, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 24.57w.
400 – 1, Emerald Egwim (Minnesota) 53.18; 10, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 56.18.
400 hurdles – 1, Ariel Jones (Texas) 57.65; 10, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 1:02.03.
Pole vault, section B – 1, Lexi Kiefer (Minnesota) 13-1 (4.00m); 5, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 12-7 (3.85m); 9, Nicole Summersett (Stanford) 11-11 (3.65m).
Long jump – 1, Der'Renae Freeman (Adidas) 21-2 ½ (6.46m); 3, Daryth Gayles (Stanford) 20-6 1/4w (6.25m), 19-9 ½ (6.03m); 13, Marisa Kwiatkowski (Stanford) 18-10 ¾w (5.76m), 18-3 ¼ (5.57m).
Triple jump – 1, Jannell Hadnot (New Mexico) 43-5 (13.23m); 3, Marisa Kwiatkowski (Stanford) 41-0 ¼w (12.50m), 40-9 ¾ (12.44m).
Shot put – 1, Elena Bruckner (Texas) 54-8 ¼ (16.67m); 2, Lena Giger (Stanford) 54-3 ¾ (16.55m).
* * *
Dinger, Buttinger get view of historic race
BERKELEY, Calif. – Stanford's Tai Dinger and Scott Buttinger were part of history Saturday at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational at Edwards Stadium. In the Lon Spurrier men's invitational 800, Dinger and Buttinger were in the race won by UTEP freshman Emmanuel Korir in 1:43.73 – the No. 2 time in collegiate history.
Korir ran a 52.47 first lap and extended his two-second lead to an eight-second victory with a negative split of 51.25. The time is second in collegiate outdoor competition only to Texas A&M's Donavan Brazier, who ran 1:43.55 to win the NCAA Championships last year. Among all collegians in extended seasons, including international competition, only Joaquim Cruz, Paul Ereng, Brazier, and Mike Boit have run faster than Korir of Kenya.
Dinger was fourth in the race in 1:52.13 and Buttinger was sixth in 1:52.88.
In the women's 1,500, Stanford senior Danielle Katz ran a personal best of 4:22.38 to place third in the Marilyn Davis invitational race.
Brutus Hamilton Invitational
At Edwards Stadium
Saturday's results
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
Lon Spurrier invitational 800 – 1, Emmanuel Korir (UTEP) 1:43.73; 4, Tai Dinger (Stanford) 1:52.13; 6, Scott Buttinger (Stanford) 1:52.88.
Don Bowden invitational mile – 1, Thomas Joyce (California) 4:02.53; 10, Patrick Perrier (Stanford) 4:10.41; 11, Ryan Silva (Stanford) 4:11.83.
Women
Louise Romo invitational 800 – 1, Lilian Koech (UTEP) 2:04.68; 5, Sarah Walker (Stanford) 2:07.97.
Marilyn Davis invitational 1,500 – 1, Marissa Williams (California) 4:19.77; 3, Danielle Katz (Stanford) 4:22.38; 5, Maddy Berkson (Stanford) 4:24.16; 9, Catherine Pagano (Stanford) 4:29.79; 11, Claire Smith (Stanford) 4:44.69.
