Photo of Mackenzie Little from Stanford Invitational by Casey Valentine/ISI Photos.
EUGENE, Ore. – Stanford sophomore Mackenzie Little won her second consecutive women's javelin title at the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships on Saturday and extended the Cardinal's winning streak in that event to six years.
Little threw 173 feet, 11 inches (53.02 meters) in the rain at Hayward Field to win by more than 13 feet. Stanford's javelin streak began with Brianna Bain, who won all four years of her collegiate career, and has been followed by Little, the 2013 World Youth Championships winner from Australia. The victory gives Stanford an individual champion for the 22nd consecutive year, the longest active women's streak in the Pac-12.
Beyond Little, Stanford excelled in the throws, with six scorers in four events: a second in the men's hammer from Michael Painter, thirds in the men's javelin by Trevor Danielson and women's shot put by Lena Giger, a fourth in the women's javelin by Jenna Gray, and a fifth in the men's hammer by Tristen Newman.
Gray's story may be the most remarkable. The freshman has spent the spring as part of Stanford's No. 1 pair in beach volleyball and has had limited javelin training. A three-sport athlete, Gray was the starting setter on Stanford's NCAA champion indoor volleyball team last fall. She threw 158-5 (48.30m).
Danielson, in his first season in three years, competed against his brother -- Oregon's second-placer Cody Danielson – in their home state. During the battle, Trevor threw 223-9 (68.20m), a personal record by more than five feet which placed him No. 3 on Stanford's all-time performers' list, passing Aaron Konigsberg (220-1, 67.09) and Jason Goff (218-8, 66.65).
Painter, a graduate student who owns a computer science degree from University of Cambridge, threw 214-2 in his first season for the Cardinal. Giger put the shot 54-1 ¾ (16.50m) and Newman threw 194-0 (59.14m) in the hammer.
Most of the running events were preliminary rounds, but in the 3,000-meter steeplechase races, Steven Fahy was fourth in the men's race in 8:57.89 and Danielle Katz, a senior out of Los Gatos High, was fifth in 10:21.73. It was her third consecutive top-six Pac-12 finish.
Four Stanford runners advanced to the final in the women's 1,500, led by Malika Waschmann (4:21.58), who qualified third. Also qualifying was 2016 Pac-12 runner-up Rebecca Mehra (4:22.69), freshman Fiona O'Keeffe (4:23.86), and Catherine Pagano, who ran a personal best 4:24.29.
Grant Fisher was an easy qualifier into the final of the men's 1,500, running 3:46.56 for second in his heat. Defending women's 400 champion Olivia Baker advanced to the final in that event, in 54.58. Tai Dinger (1:51.68) advanced to his second consecutive men's 800 final, freshman Christina Aragon (2:07.10) advanced in the women's 800, and Daniel Brady (53.14) reached his second consecutive men's 400 hurdles final.
Jaak Uudmae placed sixth in the long jump at 23-10 ¼ (7.27m). It was his second time scoring at the Pac-12 meet, after a fifth in the triple jump last year and he will compete in that event Sunday.
Fifth-year senior Garrett Sweatt placed ninth in the men's 10,000 final in 29:36.26 and Trevor Rex also was ninth, in the men's high jump at 6-6 ¾ (2.00m).
