SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In her first U.S. championship race, Stanford's Vanessa Fraser exceeded her own expectations with a seventh-place finish in the women's 5,000 meters on Friday night at Hornet Stadium.
Fraser ran 15:25.48 to edge her lifetime best and raise her profile considerably. Former Stanford teammate Jessica Tonn '14, was 12th in 15:32.34, good for her second-best USATF finish. She was ninth in 2014.
A former walk-on, Fraser has reached the NCAA outdoor 5,000 final twice, placing 13th each time. She also earned a fifth in the 3,000 at the NCAA indoor meet this year before redshirting during the outdoor season to set up a fifth season of eligibility in 2018.
And, yet, she was the second collegian in the field Friday, trailing only NCAA champion Karissa Schweizer, who was fourth.
Still thinking like a collegian, where placing in the top eight at NCAA's is a major goal, "to be seventh at USA outdoors is really awesome. To do that on this stage means a lot."
Fraser, who redshirted, raced only three times during the outdoor season, setting lifetime bests in each race – a 1,500 in 4:15.90 at the Cardinal Classic on April 22, and a 15:25.83 at the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 5. Both were on her home track, and the Payton Jordan race was run with her playlist on the public address, in front of a huge crowd of friends and family.
She knew this would be different.
"This was a good test of: If things aren't perfectly designed for me, can I do it?" she wondered. "And I did it."
Though her fan club wasn't as big as the one that saw her through the Payton Jordan race, while on the starting line, she heard a familiar voice – her boyfriend – screaming "Vanessa!" from across the track. Plus, she had Tonn to run with.
Though she hadn't raced often, she was confident in her fitness. She had a confidence-building speed workout 2 ½ weeks ago and then a workout that was more in line with the speed and volume she would face in this race, and mastered that workout as well.
As the race developed, Fraser hung near the back and on Tonn's shoulder and moved when she moved. Soon, about a dozen formed a lead pack with Fraser in tow.
"I was really glad I reacted quickly because those gaps formed really fast," Fraser said. "It was actually super helpful having Jess. I just kept my eyes on the front. And tried to think, just stay with them as long as you can."
The final three laps were hard.
"I was hurting," she said. "I wondered, how much should I push it? Or, will that sabotage it? But I think I did a good job of pushing on my comfort zone, but not crossing the red line."
It paid off with the best race of her life, and on the biggest stage – the national championships.
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In the U.S. junior championships, Stanford freshman Julian Body set a personal best of 51.62, strengthening his hold at No. 2 on the school's all-time freshman list. Body, whose previous best was 52.50, also jumped up four spots on Stanford's all-time top-10 list, to No. 8.
Body ran out of Lane One, but didn't let the tight turns bother him. Body navigated the race well and finished second in his heat to advance on time as the sixth overall qualifier for Saturday's final. If Body places among the top two, he earns the right to compete for the U.S. at the Pan Am Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, on July 21-23.
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Kori Carter, Stanford's 2013 NCAA champion, advanced to the semifinals in the 400 hurdles. Carter was second in her heat and the second overall qualifier to reigning Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad. Carter looked smooth in running her 55.09 and the 2014 U.S. champion seems primed for a top-three finish and her second World Championships appearance, following her qualification in 2015.
"I'm pretty fit," Carter said. "I'm just working on execution, but the fitness and speed is there. Mentally, I just need to put it all together."
Carter suffered a huge disappointment at the Olympic Trials last year, finishing fourth – one spot from the Rio Games – despite a desperate dive for the finish line. Carter said she's using that experience as a motivation this year.
"Definitely," she said. "I've done a lot of reflection about what I needed to do, so I wouldn't repeat last year's mistakes."
Carter must finish among the top four in Saturday's semifinal to advance to the Sunday final.
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USATF Championships
At Hornet Stadium, Sacramento
Stanford's Friday results
Women
400 hurdles first round – 2, Kori Carter '14 (Brand Jordan) 55.09. Carter advanced to semifinal.
5,000 final – 7, Vanessa Fraser (Stanford) 15:25.48; 12, Jessica Tonn '14 (Brooks Beasts) 15:32.34.
Junior Championships
Men
400 hurdles first round – 6, Julian Body (Stanford) 51.62. Body advanced to final.
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Stanford Schedule
Saturday
11:30 a.m.: Men's javelin final (Trevor Danielson).
12:30 p.m.: Women's shot put final (Lena Giger).
1:39 p.m.: Women's 400 hurdles semifinals (Kori Carter '14). Top 4 in each of 2 semis advance to final.
Sunday
1:46 p.m.: Women's 400 hurdles final.
Junior Championships
Saturday
10:20 a.m.: Men's discus final (Jake Koffman).
4:10 p.m.: Women's pole vault final (Erika Malaspina).
4:53 p.m.: Men's 400 hurdles final (Julian Body).
