ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Stanford's Lena Giger continued her hot streak in the shot put, winning at the Power Five Invitational indoor track and field meet Saturday with a lifetime best.
Giger threw 56-10 ¾ (17.34 meters) while engaged in a duel with Louisville's Emmonnie Henderson, the 2017 NCAA outdoor runner-up.
Giger took the lead in the first round, Henderson grabbed it in the second and Giger recaptured it for good in the third of the six rounds at the U-M Indoor Track Building. The throw eclipsed Giger's three-week-old personal record of 56-9 ¼ (17.30m), which itself was a one-foot improvement upon her best during a 2017 All-America season that culminated at the U.S. Championships.
In each of her three meets this season, Giger has finished as the top collegian.
"Lena is competing at a very high level," said throws coach Zeb Sion. "Though she's improved her personal best in two of the three meets this season, Lena's progress has been in motion for several months. She's made significant strength gains and also has become much more technically sound.
"Even though she threw well last year, I'm not surprised by her continued progress. Her confidence, attitude and approach to competition has also continued to improve."
Giger strengthened her hold on the No. 3 spot on Stanford's all-time indoor performance list as she closed within four inches of Jillian Camarena's school record. In fact, on Stanford's absolute list, Giger sits No. 4, behind only a trio of Olympians – Camarena, Pam Dukes, and Carol Cady.
Giger moved into the No. 5 spot on the NCAA Division I season list. The top 16 advance to the NCAA Indoor Championships March 9-10 at Texas A&M. Over the past eight years, every mark at 55-3 (16.84m) and above has earned passage.
"While Lena is in a really good place right now, we're aware of the work that needs to be done, with the NCAA Championships in our sights," Sion said.
Stanford athletes had plenty of other strong performances at the first-year meet.
Olivia Baker was second in the women's 800 and the top collegian, running 2:04.00 to move up to No. 5 on the NCAA list this year. Over the past eight years, that time never has failed to be enough to get to NCAA's.
Isaiah Brandt-Sims jumped from No. 6 to No. 3 on the school all-time indoor performer's list in the men's 200. Brandt-Sims won his heat in 21.43 on the 200-meter banked track and was fifth overall. Frank Kurtz won his heat in 21.67 and moved to No. 8 on the Stanford list.
In the women's pole vault, Erika Malaspina tied for second at 13-2 ¼ (4.02m) while moving from No. 8 to No. 4 on the school list. Malaspina was perfect through her first three heights, before falling short at 13-8 ¼ (4.17m), which was the winning mark.
Freshman Carolyn Wilson impressed in the 400. She was fourth at 54.29, the No. 7 Stanford all-time mark, and added a 53.77 split on the Cardinal's third-place 4x400 relay, which posted a 3:40.50. Another freshman, Ashlan Best, had Stanford's fastest split, a 53.33 on the second leg.
Freshman Jack Herkert was sixth in the heptathlon his first collegiate multi-events competition. His score of 4,860 in the seven-event competition put him No. 4 at Stanford all-time and No. 2 on the Cardinal freshmen list, behind All-America teammate Harrison Williams.
Hari Sathyamurthy, a redshirt freshman, showed why he earned the nickname "Hurricane Hari" at Brownsburg (Ind.) High, by running an indoor personal record 1:51.19 to win his heat and place third overall in the 800.
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Power Five Invitational
At U-M Indoor Track Building
200-meter banked track
Winners and other Stanford athletes
Saturday's results
Men
200 – 1, Jonathan Webb (Minnesota) 21.20; 5, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 21.43 (No. 3 Stanford all-time indoors); 8, Frank Kurtz (Stanford) 21.67 (No. 8 Stanford all-time indoors); 10, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.76; 21, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 22.80.
400 – 1, Wil London (Baylor) 46.68; 16, Louis Stenmark (Stanford) 49.19; 24, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 49.53; 34, Daniel Brady (Stanford) 50.41.
800 – 1, Daniel Kuhn (Indiana) 1:49.93; 3, Hari Sathyamurthy (Stanford) 1:51.19; 4, Brandon McGorty (Stanford) 1:51.27; 7, Brian Smith (Stanford) 1:51.71; 8, Christian White (Stanford) 1:53.37; 12, Nathaniel Kucera (Stanford) 1:53.51.
Mile – 1, Joseph Murphy (Indiana) 4:06.45; 7, Patrick Perrier (Stanford) 4:08.71; 8, Tom Coyle (Stanford) 4:09.04; 22, Isaac Cortes (Stanford) 4:15.00.
4x400 relay – 1, Michigan 3:08.49; 5, Stanford 'A' (Julian Body, Frank Kurtz, Louis Stenmark, Gabriel Navarro) 3:12.50; 7, Stanford 'B' (Daniel Brady, Isaac Westlund, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Christian White) 3:14.51.
Long jump – 1, Marcus Jegede (Louisville) 24-7 (7.49m); 5, Jaak Uudmae (Stanford) 23-5 ½ (7.15m).
Shot put – 1, Andrew Liskowitz (Michigan) 63-6 ¼ (19.36m); 4, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 59-5 ¾ (18.13m).
Weight throw – 1, Joseph Ellis (Michigan) 74-6 ¼ (22.71m); 9, Michael Painter (Stanford) 60-7 ¾ (18.48m).
Heptathlon – 1, Joe Delgado (Louisville) 5,627; 6, Jack Herkert (Stanford) 4,860 (personal record; No. 4 Stanford all-time indoors; No. 2 Stanford freshman all-time).
Herkert: event by event (event, place, mark, points):
First day – 60: 9, 7.47 (723); Long jump: 4, 22-0 ¼, 6.71m (746); Shot put – 8, 34-6 ¾, 10.53m (518); High jump – 1, 6-8 ¾, 2.05m (850). Total: 2,837.
Second day – Pole vault: 6, 12-5 1/2, 3.80m (562); 60 hurdles: 5, 8.62 (832); 1,000: 5, 3:03.65 (629). Second-day total: 2,023. Two-day total: 4,860.
Women
200 – 1, Taylor Bennett (Baylor) 23.38; 8, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 24.24; 18, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 25.11.
400 – 1, Kiana Horton (Baylor) 53.37; 4, Carolyn Wilson (Stanford) 54.29 (No. 7 Stanford all-time indoors; No. 4 Stanford freshman all-time); 5, Gaby Gayles (Stanford) 54.48; 6, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 54.75.
800 – 1, Shannon Osika (Nike) 2:03.38; 2, Olivia Baker (Stanford) 2:04.00
Mile – 1, Jamie Morrissey (unattached) 4:44.02; 11, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:50.54; 14, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 4:52.13;
3,000 – 1, Haley Meier (Michigan) 9:14.38; 4, Maddy Berkson (Stanford) 9:39.09.
4x400 relay – 1, Minnesota 3:36.36; 3, Stanford (Missy Mongiovi, Ashlan Best, Carolyn Wilson, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson) 3:40.50.
Pole vault – 1, Laura Marty (Duke) 13-8 ¼ (4.17m); 2, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 13-2 ¼ (4.02m) (No. 4 Stanford all-time indoors); 8, Kaitlyn Merritt (Stanford) 13-2 ¼ (4.02m); Nicole Summersett (Stanford) NH.
Long jump – 1, Alexis Gibbons (Louisville) 20-1 (6.12m); 5, Daryth Gayles (Stanford) 19-0 (5.79m); 13, Marisa Kwiatkowski (Stanford) 17-11 ¾ (5.48m).
Triple jump – 1, Kelly McKee (Virginia) 41-9 ¼ (12.73m); 3, Marisa Kwiatkowski (Stanford) 40-9 ½ (12.43m).
Shot put – 1, Lena Giger (Stanford) 56-10 ¾ (17.34m) (personal record; stadium record; No. 3 Stanford all-time indoors).
Weight throw – 1, Agnes Esser (Minnesota) 67-11 ½ (20.71m); 2, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 67-6 ¼ (20.58m).
