STANFORD, Calif. – The last time Grant Fisher and Sean McGorty raced each other on the track was in Heat One of the 5,000 meters at the 2016 Olympic Trials on the Fourth of July at Oregon's Hayward Field.
McGorty snagged the last qualifying spot for the final and Fisher, who had just completed his freshman season, missed out by finishing one spot back.
On Friday at 8:22 p.m., Stanford's national-title contenders will square off again, this time in the invitational section of the men's 5,000 at the Cardinal Classic, a two-day meet that continues Saturday at Cobb Track and Angell Field.
Last year, Fisher won the NCAA title at this distance, and McGorty was second in 2016. This could be their only 5,000 before the NCAA West Prelims. In the past two years, Fisher and McGorty raced the 5,000 once in a home meet and then ran the 1,500 at the Pac-12 Championships, with Fisher winning the conference title last year.
In 2016, McGorty made a bid to win the NCAA Outdoor 5,000, only for Oregon's Edward Cheserek to pull away down the stretch. Fisher was sixth in that race. In 2017, without McGorty in the field, Fisher had the kick to win the NCAA 5,000 crown.
McGorty is a fifth-year senior and Fisher a junior. McGorty hasn't raced a 5,000 since the Olympic Trials and Fisher, who won the Cardinal Classic last year in 13:37.77, hasn't raced a 5,000 since his NCAA-winning effort last year.
The meet is in its third year and features 15 teams. It is a college-focused competition.
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Meet information:
Cardinal Classic
When: Friday and Saturday.
What: 3rd Cardinal Classic
Where: Cobb Track and Angell Field
Events begin:
Friday: Field, Noon; Running, 6 p.m.
Saturday: Field, 2 p.m.; Running, 4:30 p.m.
Follow the action:
Entries/Live results/Heat sheets: Click here.
Event schedule: Click here.
Meet Twitter: @StanfordMeets
Stanford Twitter: @stanfordXCTF
Stanford Instagram: StanfordXCTF
Tickets: For adults, tickets are $10 each day. For youths, seniors, and staff, tickets are $5 each day. The ticket booth outside the entrance to the track stadium opens at 8 a.m. each day.
More ticket information: Click here.
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Parking:
Free parking on Friday and Saturday is available at the track lot, the Varsity Lot (next to Sunken Diamond), and Lot 2 (on the El Camino Real side of Stanford Stadium). Access to each is from Nelson Road/Sam McDonald Road off Galvez Street. Keep in mind that parking is free everywhere on campus after 4 p.m. Friday and on weekends.
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Stanford notes:
The women's 1,500 features Christina Aragon, Elise Cranny, and Vanessa Fraser – three members of Stanford's runner-up NCAA indoor distance medley relay team. All three are first-team All-Americans as individuals, with Aragon and Cranny each a threat to win the NCAA title at this distance.
Stanford junior Mackenzie Little, a two-time Pac-12 women's javelin champion, is the top-ranked collegian in the country. She is undefeated in six career home meets.
Shot putter Lena Giger is No. 2 on the season collegiate list and was only 2 ½ inches off Jillian Camarena's school record in her most recent outing, at the Triton Invitational last week.
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Stanford athletes scheduled to compete, by event:
Men
100 – Terrence Alexander, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Gabriel Navarro.
200 – Terrence Alexander, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Frank Kurtz, Gabriel Navarro, Isaac Westlund.
400 – Daniel Brady, Dion Brandt-Sims, Colin Dolese, Lucas Ege, Frank Kurtz, Louis Stenmark, Isaac Westlund.
800 – Daniel Book, Scott Buttinger, Isaac Cortes, Nathaniel Kucera, Brandon McGorty, Hari Sathyamurthy, Brian Smith, Christian White.
1,500 – Isaac Cortes, Tom Doyle, Tai Dinger, Patrick Perrier.
5,000 – Grant Fisher, Blair Hurlock, Jack Keelan, Sean McGorty, Alex Ostberg, DJ Principe, Michael Vernau, Sam Wharton.
10,000 – Will Lauer.
110 hurdles – Jack Herkert.
400 hurdles – Julian Body, Daniel Brady, Dion Brandt-Sims, Colin Dolese, Lucas Ege.
3,000 steeplechase – Steven Fahy, Steven Grolle.
4x100 relay – Stanford.
4x400 relay – Stanford.
High jump – Jack Herkert, Trevor Rex, Jaak Uudmae.
Shot put – Tristen Newman.
Discus – Landon Ellingson, Jake Koffman.
Hammer – Landon Ellingson, Jake Koffman, Tristen Newman, Michael Painter.
Javelin – Trevor Danielson, Will Kingsfield.
Women
100 -- Daryth Gayles, Giana Gayles.
200 – Ashlan Best, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson, Gaby Gayles, Missy Mongiovi, Carolyn Wilson.
400 – Olivia Baker, Ashlan Best, Gaby Gayles, Missy Mongiovi, Carolyn Wilson.
800 – Christina Aragon, Elise Cranny, Julia Heymach.
1,500 – Christina Aragon, Maddy Berkson, Elise Cranny, Ella Donaghu, Vanessa Fraser, Julia Heymach, Jessica Lawson, Abbie McNulty, Fiona O'Keeffe, Jordan Oakes, Catherine Pagano.
5,000 – Hannah DeBalsi, Jessica Lawson, Julia Maxwell, Abbie McNulty, Fiona O'Keeffe.
100 hurdles – Hannah Labrie-Smith, Amber Lewis.
400 hurdles – Hannah Labrie-Smith, Amber Lewis.
4x100 relay – Stanford.
4x400 relay – Stanford.
High jump – Valerie Przekop, Rachel Reichenbach.
Pole vault – Erika Malaspina, Jackie McNulty, Kaitlyn Merritt, Nicole Summersett.
Long jump – Giana Gayles, Marisa Kwiatkowski, Samantha Seaton.
Triple jump – Marisa Kwiatkowski, Aria Small.
Shot put – Lena Giger, Jaimi Salone.
Discus – Valarie Allman, Jaimi Salone.
Hammer – Valarie Allman, Lena Giger.
Javelin – Jenna Gray, Mackenzie Little, Virginia Miller.
