Photo of Mackenzie Little by Al Sermeno/ISI Photos.
EUGENE, Ore. – Stanford sophomore Mackenzie Little placed fourth in the women's javelin at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Hayward Field, improving her placing by three spots from a year ago.
Little's performance highlighted a strong day for the six Stanford women competing Thursday: Little earned her highest NCAA placing, two throwers earned their first All-America honors, and three middle-distance runners advanced to finals.
Little's first toss was her best. The two-time Pac-12 champion fired the spear 181 feet, 6 inches (55.32 meters) the first of her six throws. It was more than a five-foot improvement from her performance last year at this meet and gave Stanford its sixth top-10 finish in seven years in this event. It marked the ninth time Stanford has placed among the top five in this event, but was the longest throw ever by a Cardinal at the NCAA Championships.
In the same competition, freshman Jenna Gray was 16th, earning her first All-America honor. It was a surprising first her -- to become an All-America in track and field (second team) before earning one in her main sport of volleyball. Gray threw 165-0 (50.29m) to place 16th on her third and final throw, which was a lifetime best by three feet.
Despite being limited in her javelin training, Gray moved up two spots, to fifth, on Stanford's all-time performers' list. A three-sport athlete, Gray's primary sport is volleyball. She was the starting setter on Stanford's NCAA champion indoor team in the fall and then was part of the Cardinal's No. 1 tandem in beach volleyball, taking the bulk of her sporting attention this spring.
Competing in her first NCAA meet, junior Lena Giger was 17th in the shot put. Giger's best throw was 53-2 ¾ (16.22m), earning her All-America honorable mention honors.
Three Stanford women – Olivia Baker, Christina Aragon, and Rebecca Mehra -- advanced to finals in the middle distances. Baker placed second in the 800 meters in 2:04.74, and Aragon was second (4:19.08) and Mehra fifth (4:19.37) in their heat of the 1,500, to earn automatic qualifying spots for Saturday's finals.
Baker, the NCAA runner-up last year, took the early lead before settling into third through 500 meters. She moved to the shoulder of leader Abike Egbeniyi of Middle Tennessee State until slingshotting into the lead off the final turn. Baker was passed in the final 50, but held off Duke's Madeline Kopp by 0.05 for the second and final automatic qualifying spot.
Mehra, who recently completed work for her master's in communication, advanced to her first NCAA individual final. She lunged to the finish, passing Oklahoma State's Kaela Edwards for the final qualifying berth by 0.03 seconds.
Mehra and Aragon will be among 12 in Saturday's final at 3:41 p.m., with Baker's race set for 4:44. Mehra and Aragon used different strategies to get there. At the gun, both settled into the back before Mehra moved up to mid-pack midway through the race.
On the third lap, Aragon moved up on the outside and pulled up into the fifth spot at the bell, with Mehra two spots back. As the top five, including Aragon, pulled away from the rest, Mehra struggled to make up that gap down the homestretch.
Aragon finished just ahead of her sister, Notre Dame senior Danielle Aragon, and they fell into each other's arms in an embrace. However, Mehra needed every step to catch Oklahoma State's Kaela Edwards, the 2016 NCAA indoor mile champ and earn the final automatic qualifying spot.
Mehra, the 2016 Pac-12 runner-up, had reached the NCAA outdoor meet once before, but did not advance in 2014.
Besides her running, Mehra has a fascinating scholastic history. She earned her B.A. with honors in international relations last year, with her thesis on the Indus Water Treaty of India and Pakistan receiving top honors in her department.
This year, Mehra's master's thesis focused on comparative perceptions of human trafficking between South Asia and the Bay Area. She will go on to work in the State Department, earning a foreign policy job that focuses on counterterrorism.
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NCAA Championships
At Hayward Field
Stanford results
Women
800 semifinals – Heat 1: 2, Olivia Baker, 2:04.74. Baker advances to final.
1,500 semifinals – Heat 2: 2, Christina Aragon, 4:19.08; 5, Rebecca Mehra, 4:19.37. Aragon and Mehra advance to final.
Javelin final – 4, Mackenzie Little, 181-6 (55.32m); 16, Jenna Gray, 165-0 (50.29m).
Shot put final – 17, Lena Giger, 53-2 ¾ (16.22m).
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Stanford's upcoming schedule
Friday (ESPN/WatchESPN)
7:25 p.m.: Men's 5,000 final (Grant Fisher).
Saturday (ESPN/WatchESPN)
3:41 p.m.: Women's 1,500 final (Christina Aragon, Rebecca Mehra).
4:44 p.m.: Women's 800 final (Olivia Baker).
5:25 p.m.: Women's 5,000 final (Fiona O'Keeffe).
