SEATTLE -- Valarie Allman placed second in the women's 20-pound weight throw and Abbie McNulty shattered her personal best in the 5,000 meters to highlight Stanford's performances at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday.
The two-day meet continues Saturday at Dempsey Indoor, with Stanford women's runners seeded first in the 800 (Olivia Baker), mile (Elise Cranny), and 3,000 (Vanessa Fraser).
Allman had her best throw of 69-9 (21.26 meters) on her third of six attempts. However, it wasn't enough to catch Arizona State's Maggie Ewen, who opened with her best throw, of 71-3 ¼ (21.72m).
Stanford scored in four women's events, with Kaitlyn Merritt and Erika Malaspina reaching the same height of 13-1 ½ (4.00m) in the pole vault while placing third and fifth, respectively.
The Cardinal also was fifth in the distance medley relay, with a team of Julia Heymach, Hannah Labrie-Smith, Anna Laman, and Maddy Berkson running 11:28.59.
However, Stanford's athlete of the day was McNulty, a senior bioengineering major who was fourth in the 5,000 in 16:03.16. It was a 36-second improvement on her lifetime best of 16:40.00, which was achieved outdoors at the 2016 Stanford Twilight Meet.
McNulty ran sixth for the early part of the race, in a second pack behind four leaders. She then bridged the gap into the front pack and hung tough. Two runners broke away on the final laps while McNulty continued to duel and finished strong.
Three Stanford men scored by being among the top eight, with freshman Gabriel Navarro placing third in the 200 in 21.62, Michael Painter placing fifth in the 35-pound weight throw (63-5, 19.33m), and Sam Wharton placing eighth in the 5,000 (14:05.00).
Freshman Jack Herkert is third after the first day of the seven-event heptathlon with 2,822 points, winning the high jump at 6-5 ½ (1.97m).
* * *
Friday's results
MPSF Championships
At Dempsey Indoor
307-meter flat track
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
Team scores (after first of two days) – 1, BYU 34.5; 8, Stanford 11.
60 prelims – 7, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 6.88q.
200 – 1, Derek Sorensen (BYU) 21.53; 3, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.62; 13, Frank Kurtz (Stanford) 22.04;
5,000 – 1, Connor McMillan (BYU) 13:46.71; 8, Sam Wharton (Stanford) 14:05.00.
Long jump – 1, Isaiah Holmes (UCLA) 25-2 ½ (7.68m); 15, Jaak Uudmae (Stanford) 22-10 ½ (6.97m).
Weight throw – 1, Brock Eager (Washington State) 68-11 ¼ (21.01m); 5, Michael Painter (Stanford) 63-5 (19.33m).
Heptathlon (first of two days) – 3, Jack Herkert (Stanford) 2,822.
Herkert: event by event (event, place, mark (metric), points):
First day – 60: 6, 7.35 (PB), 762; Long jump: 3, 22-1 ½, 6.74m, 753; Shot put: 6, 35-3 ¼, 10.75m (PB), 531; High jump: 1, 6-5 ½, 1.97m, 776.
Women
Team scores (after first of two days) – USC 49; 4, Stanford 27.
60 prelims – 31, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 7.72; 37, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 7.79.
200 – 1, Kendall Ellis (USC) 23.36; 13, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 24.29; 40, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 25.23; 44, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 25.35.
5,000 – 1, Carmela Cardama Baez (Oregon) 15:55.00; 4, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 16:03.16.
60 hurdles prelims – 26, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 9.00.
Distance medley relay – 1, Washington 11:07.43; 5, Stanford (Julia Heymach, Hannah Labrie-Smith, Anna Laman, Maddy Berkson) 11:28.59.
Pole vault – 1, Lauren Martinez (Cal) 13-9 ¼ (4.20m); 3, Kaitlyn Merritt (Stanford) 13-1 ½ (4.00m); 5, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 13-1 ½ (4.00m); 15, Jackie McNulty (Stanford) 12-3 ½ (3.75m); 27, Nicole Summersett (Stanford) 11-3 ¾ (3.45m).
Long jump – 1, Courtney Corrin (USC) 19-11 ½ (6.08m); 14, Daryth Gayles (Stanford) 18-2 ¼ (5.54m);
Weight throw – 1, Maggie Ewen (ASU) 71-3 ¼ (21.72m); 2, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 69-9 (21.26m).
