STANFORD, Calif. – Two big throws gave Stanford women two victories on Friday on the first day of the 43rd Stanford Invitational, the Cardinal's unofficial opening to the outdoor track and field season.
Mackenzie Little upended the nation's top thrower this year in the javelin and Lena Giger continued her momentum from the indoor season by setting an outdoor personal record and moving up to No. 2 on Stanford's all-time performers' list.
They were among four Stanford winners, joining Jaak Uudmae and Daryth Gayles, who gave Stanford a sweep of the long jumps. In addition, Kaitlyn Merritt and Erika Malaspina placed second and third in the women's pole vault with marks that place them both among Stanford's all-time top five.
A single day produced four collegiate/open meet records, winning performances by three 2016 Olympic gold medalists, four Stanford winners, and two additions to the collegiate track's all-time top 10, and one facility record.
Little, a two-time Pac-12 champ, unleashed her best throw of 182-8 (55.67 meters) on her first attempt and the distance held, even with the presence of North Dakota State's Alyssa Olin, who came into the meet with the nation's longest throw. Olin threw 191-6 (58.36m) last week, but couldn't match Little, coming in second at 176-11 (53.92m).
Giger, who broke the Stanford indoor record this winter and placed sixth at NCAA Indoors, opened her outdoor season at 57-9 ½ (17.61m) to win by more than five feet. Four of Giger's six throws exceeded 17 meters.
She jumped 1984 Olympian Carol Cady from third on the all-time list with only another Olympian, Jillian Camarena, ahead (59-6 ¾, 18.15m) in Stanford history.
Meet records were set by Nick Miller in the men's hammer, Sophie Hitchon in the women's hammer, Brianna Rollins-McNeal in the women's 100 hurdles, and Allie Ostrander in the women's 3,000 steeplechase.
Miller, an Englishman by way of Oklahoma State, broke his own British and Cobb Track & Angell Field records, throwing 256-10 (78.29m). His facility record was 252-6 (76.97m) from 2015 and the meet record was 248-2 (75.64m) by Sunnyvale native Bill Green at the old Stanford Stadium in 1987. Miller entered the collegiate section rather than Saturday's invitational so that he could catch a flight to Australia for the Commonwealth Games, which begins Wednesday.
Great Britain's Hitchon, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, won the women's hammer in 234-3 (71.41m), crushing the meet record of 217-2 (66.20m) by UNLV's Amanda Bingson from 2012.
Boise State's Alli Ostrander, the defending NCAA champ, won the women's 3,000 steeplechase in 9:38.57, shattering the meet standard of 9:46.73 set by Alexi Pappas in 2013. She made her steeplechase debut at this meet last year.
Brianna Rollins-McNeal, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, twice took down the meet record in the 100 hurdles, first in the prelims (12.70) and then in the final (12.62) with the fastest time in the world this year. Rollins-McNeal hit the eighth hurdle, but maintained her stride. The previous meet record was 12.91 by USC's Candice Davis in 2007.
Among other gold medalists, Dalilah Muhammad, the Rio 400 hurdles champ, won the 400 in 52.72, with Stanford's Olivia Baker, the 2016 Pac-12 champ at that distance, third in 53.68.
And Gwen Jorgensen, the 2016 Olympic triathlon winner transitioning to the marathon, ran her first 10,000 in nine years. In a two-woman race, Jorgensen swept around Carrie Dimoff on the final turn to power to victory in 31:55.68. In third in her 10,000 debut was Missouri's Karissa Schweizer, the reigning NCAA indoor 3,000 and 5,000 champ and 2016 NCAA cross country winner. Schweizer ran 32:00.55, the ninth-fastest 10K ever by a collegian.
Stanford's Abbie McNulty placed 16th in that same race, but her performance was significant as well. She ran 33:37.36 to shatter her lifetime best of 34:33.98 and move into the No. 8 spot on Stanford's all-time performers' list, moving past Georgia Griffen and Rhodes Scholar Kate Niehaus and knocking out teammate Vanessa Fraser.
Ella Donaghu, the seventh-fastest high school 1,500 runner in history, made her Stanford outdoor debut, and did it in the steeplechase, running the event for the first time. Donaghu, a redshirt freshman, was eighth in the second section in 10:26.99, placing her No. 9 on Stanford's all-time list.
In the long jump, Uudmae uncorked a jump of 24-7 (7.49m) on his fourth try and that was good enough for the victory. The distance was just 1 ½ inches off his personal best.
Gayles also closed in on a lifetime best. She jumped 21-0 (6.12m) on her third attempt. Arizona's Alyssa Thompson came within 1 ¼ inches in the fourth round, but could draw no closer, giving Gayles her first victory since the 2016 Payton Jordan Invitational.
In the invitational men's 1,500, Stanford fifth-year senior Sean McGorty returned to form with a personal best of 3:40.57, placing sixth in a tightly-bunched field. McGorty showed his fitness during two distance medley relays during the indoor season, including a school-record effort. But on the track he had raced only once in an individual race since the 2016 Olympic Trials, capping a season in which he placed second in the NCAA outdoor 5,000 and NCAA indoor 3,000.
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Stanford Invitational
At Cobb Track and Angell field
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
100 – 1, Kevin Ally (SHARKS AC) 10.38; 2, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 10.50, PB, No. 6 Stanford AT; 9, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 10.65. Prelims: 5, Brandt-Sims 10.61; 6, Navarro 10.60, PB, No. 4 Stanford frosh AT; 15, Frank Kurtz (Stanford) 10.80; 24, Terrence Alexander (Stanford) 11.00.
400 – 1, Myles Ellis (American River) 47.80; 8, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 48.63.
1,500 – Invitational: 1, Peter Callahan (unattached) 3:38.41; 6, Sean McGorty (Stanford) 3:40.57. Sec. 2: 9, Tom Coyle (Stanford) 3:48.99. Sec. 3: 7, DJ Principe (Stanford) 3:51.60; 8, Brandon McGorty (unattached) 3:52.92, PB; 10, Alex Ostberg (Stanford) 3:55.81. Sec. 4: 6, Hari Sathyamurthy (Stanford) 3:50.12, PB; 9, Isaac Cortes (Stanford) 4:03.33. Sec. 5: 4, Brian Smith (Stanford) 3:52.92, PB.
3,000 steeplechase – Invitational: 1, Yusuke Uchikoshi (Boise State) 8:38.32.
5,000 – Invitational: 1, Zach Long (Tennessee) 13:39.22. Sec. 3: 8, Tai Dinger (Stanford) 14:09.41, PB; 9, Connor Lane (unattached) 14:10.99, PB; 15, Michael Vernau (unattached) 14:30.47, PB.
10,000 -- Invitational: 1, Walter Kiprop (Alabama) 28:19.07. Sec. 2: 7, Sam Wharton (Stanford) 29:11.33, PB.
110 hurdles – 1, Misana Viltz (unattached) 13.85. Prelims: 8, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 14.64; 14, Jack Herkert (Stanford) 15.05, PB.
400 hurdles – 1, Quincy Hall (Sequoias) 49.65; 8, Daniel Brady (Stanford) 52.66; 9, Julian Body (Stanford) 52.95; 17, Lucas Ege (Stanford) 54.37; 19, Dion Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 54.55, PB; 23, Colin Dolese (Stanford) 54.93.
High jump – 1, Tyler Arroyo (Chico State) 7-1 ½ (2.17m); 11, Trevor Rex (Stanford) 6-5 (1.96m); 12, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 6-3 ¼ (1.91m).
Long jump – Invitational: 1, Jaak Uudmae (Stanford) 24-7 (7.49m). Collegiate: 2, Jack Herkert (Stanford) 22-8 (6.91m), ties PB.
Discus – Invitational: 1, Payton Otterdahl (North Dakota State) 184-10 (56.33m); 10, Jake Koffman (Stanford) 158-8 (48.37m); 11, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 155-11 (47.53m).
Hammer – Collegiate: 1, Nick Miller (Great Britain) 256-10 (78.29m), British record, facility record, meet record; 5, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 191-8 (58.43m); 23, Jake Koffman (Stanford) 156-1 (47.58m), PB; 25, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 148-5 (45.24m).
Javelin – Invitational: 1, Dejan Mileusnic (unattched) 247-9 (75.52m); 4, Trevor Danielson (Stanford) 216-10 (66.09m); 10, Will Kingsfield (Stanford) 201-0 (61.27m), PB, No. 10 Stanford AT.
Women
100 – Prelims: 2, Gaby Gayles (Stanford) 11.75, PB; 4, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 11.86, PB; 5, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson (Stanford) 11.90.
400 – 1, Dalilah Muhammad (Nike) 52.72; 3, Olivia Baker (Stanford) 53.68; 6, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 54.49; 8, Carolyn Wilson 54.90.
1,500 – Invitational: 1, Lindsey Butterworth (unattached) 4:13.12. Sec. 3: 11, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 4:31.69. Sec. 4: 1, Jessica Lawson (unattached) 4:22.75. Sec. 6: 7, Catherine Pagano (Stanford) 4:29.31.
3,000 steeplechase – Invitational: 1, Allie Ostrander (Boise State) 9:38.57, meet record, No. 8 collegiate performer AT. Sec. 2: 8, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 10:26.99, PB, No. 9 Stanford AT; 13, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 10:39.33, PB.
5,000 – Invitational: 1, Lilli Burdon (Oregon) 15:42.65. Sec. 3: 8, Hannah DeBalsi (Stanford) 16:36.33; 12, Julia Maxwell l(Stanford) 16:52.59; 16, Maddy Berkson (Stanford) 17:17.35.
10,000 -- Invitational: 1, Gwen Jorgensen (Nike-Bowerman) 31:55.68; 16, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 33:37.36, PB, No. 8 Stanford AT.
100 hurdles – 1, Brianna Rollins-McNeal (Nike) 12.62, meet record. Prelims: 17, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 14.37; 23, Brittany McGee (Stanford) 14.73, PB; 38, Amber Lewis (Stanford) 16.80.
400 hurdles – 1, De'Andreah Young (CSUN) 58.15; 10, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 1:02.19; 24, Amber Lewis (Stanford) 1:04.14.
High jump – Invitational: 1, Elizabeth Patterson (unattached) 6-0 ¾ (1.85m); 7, Rachel Reichenbach (Stanford) 5-5 (1.65m). Collegiate: 3, Valerie Przekop (Stanford) 5-5 (1.65m).
Pole vault – Invitational: 1, Lauren Martinez (Cal) 13-7 ¼ (4.15m); 2, Kaitlyn Merritt (Stanford) 13-7 ¼ (4.15m), No. 3 Stanford AT; 3, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 13-3 ½ (4.05m), No. 5 Stanford AT; 6, Jackie McNulty (Stanford) 12-11 ½ (3.95m), No. 10 Stanford AT; 11, Nicole Summersett (Stanford) 11-11 ¾ (3.65m). Collegiate: 5, Taylore Jaques (Stanford) 11-5 ¾ (3.50m).
Long jump – Invitational: 1, Daryth Gayles (Stanford) 20-1 (6.12m). Collegiate: 5, Giana Gayles (unattached) 18-10 ½ (5.75m); 7, Marisa Kwiatkowski (Stanford) 18-9 (5.71m); 8, Brittany McGee (Stanford) 18-8 (5.69m); 14, Samantha Seaton (unattached) 17-4 ¼ (5.29m).
Shot put – Invitational: 1, Lena Giger (Stanford) 57-9 ½ (17.61m), No. 2 Stanford AT. Collegiate: 11, Jaimi Salone (Stanford) 43-2 ½ (13.17m).
Hammer – Invitational: 1, Sophie Hitchon (Great Britain) 234-3 (71.41m), meet record.
Javelin – Invitational: 1, Mackenzie Little (Stanford) 182-8 (55.67m); 6, Virginia Miller (Stanford) 159-0 (48.47m); 7, Jenna Gray (Stanford) 154-2 (47.00m).
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Stanford's Saturday Schedule
Saturday
10 a.m.: Women's hammer, collegiate: Lena Giger.
1 p.m.: Women's triple jump, collegiate: Aria Small.
1 p.m.: Men's hammer, invitational: Michael Painter.
1:46 p.m.: Women's 4x100 relay: Stanford.
1:54 p.m.: Men's 4x100 relay: Stanford.
2:33 p.m.: Women's 800: Julia Heymach, Anna Laman, Carolyn Wilson.
2:56 p.m.: Men's 800: Scott Buttinger, Isaac Cortes, Tom Coyle, Nathaniel Kucera, Patrick Perrier, Christian White.
3 p.m.: Women's discus, invitational: Valarie Allman.
3 p.m.: Men's shot put, invitational: Tristen Newman.
3:17 p.m.: Women's 200: Michaela Crunkleton Wilson, Daryth Gayles, Brittany McGee, Missy Mongiovi.
3:30 p.m.: Men's triple jump, invitational: Fisayo Omilana.
3:30 p.m.: Women's triple jump, invitational: Marisa Kwiatkowski.
3:42 p.m.: Men's 200: Terrence Alexander, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Frank Kurtz, Isaac Westlund.
4:59 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay: Stanford.
5 p.m.: Women's discus, collegiate: Jaimi Salone.
5:11 p.m.: Men's 4x400 relay: Stanford.