STANFORD, Calif. – For the first time since 2007 and the 12th time altogether, Stanford will play host to the conference track and field championships.
The Pac-12 meet is Saturday and Sunday at Cobb Track and Angell Field. This is the third time since its renovation in 1996 that the facility has hosted the meet.
The Stanford women are seeking to crown an individual conference champion for the 22nd consecutive year, the longest such streak in the Pac-12. And the Cardinal is poised to make an impact on the team scoring.
Stanford has 10 different individuals and one relay team among the top three seeds, including a pair of two-time Pac-12 champs, Valarie Allman (discus) and Mackenzie Little (javelin).
For the Cardinal men, four individuals and one relay team are among top-three seeds. Grant Fisher is ntered in the 1,500, the event he won at Pac-12's last year, and the 5,000, which he won at the NCAA outdoor championships. teammate Sean McGorty, Stanford's mile record-holder and 2016 NCAA outdoor 5,000 runner-up, is entered in both as well.
The Cardinal already has crowned a champion. Harrison Williams won the decathlon on Sunday and Stanford comes into the weekend with 11 points – 10 for Williams and 1 for Jack Herkert's eighth-place finish.
Stanford is looking for strong team performances while also attempting to qualify as many as possible to the NCAA West Prelims, May 24-26 in Sacramento. From there, the top 12 advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 6-9.
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Meet information:
Pac-12 Championships
Where: Stanford
Site: Cobb Track and Angell Field
Events begin:
Saturday: Field, 11:30 a.m.; Running, 2:30 p.m.
Sunday: Field, 10:30 a.m.: Running, 3 p.m.
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Follow the action:
Live Results: Click here.
Meet Central: Click here.
Start Lists: Click here (PDF).
Meet Schedule: Click here (PDF).
TV: Pac-12 Network
Live: Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
Live: Sunday, 3 p.m.
Stanford in USTFCCCA rankings:
Women: No. 7
Men: No. 23
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Stanford's top-10 seeded competitors:
Women
400: 8, Gaby Gayles 53.18.
800: 5, Olivia Baker 2:06.31.
1,500: 2, Christina Aragon 4:12.28; 6, Maddy Berkson 4:21.01; 9, Jessica Lawson 4:22.88.
3,000 steeplechase: 8, Jordan Oakes 10:31.46.
5,000: 1, Vanessa Fraser 15:20.10; 3, Fiona O'Keeffe 15:38.82.
10,000: 2, Abbie McNulty 33:37.36; 10, Vanessa Fraser.
4x400 relay: 1, Stanford 3:31.65.
Pole vault: 1, Kaitlyn Merritt 14-0 ½ (4.28); 3, Erika Malaspina 13-8 ¼ (4.17); 8, Jackie McNulty 12-11 ½ (3.95); 9, Nicole Summersett 12-9 ½ (3.90).
Long jump: 9, Daryth Gayles 20-1 (6.12).
Triple jump: 5, Marisa Kwiatkowski 41-9 ¾ (12.74); 7, Aria Small 41-2 ¼.
Shot put: 2, Lena Giger 59-4 ¼ (18.09).
Discus: 2, Valarie Allman 198-11 (60.65); 9, Jaimi Salone 163-5 (49.82).
Hammer: 3, Valarie Allman 208-2 (63.46).
Javelin: 1, Mackenzie Little 192-4 (58.63); 2, Jenna Gray 178-11 (54.53); 6, Virginia Miller 162-8 (49.59).
Men
100: 6, Isaiah Brandt-Sims 10.41; 8, Gabriel Navarro 10.43.
200: 8, Isaiah Brandt-Sims 21.01.
400: 9, Frank Kurtz 47.38.
800: 6, Hari Sathyamurthy 1:49.93; 9, Brian Smith 1:50.28.
1,500: 5, Sean McGorty 3:40.57; 6, Grant Fisher 3:41.24.
5,000: 1, Grant Fisher 13:36.77; 3, Sean McGorty 13:41.10; 8, Jack Keelan 13:50.48.
10,000: 4, Sam Wharton 29:11.33.
400 hurdles: 6, Julian Body 52.18; 8, Daniel Brady 52.51; 10, Dion Brandt-Sims 52.92.
3,000 steeplechase: 2, Steven Fahy 8:48.79; 10, Steven Grolle 9:04.47.
4x100 relay: 4, Stanford 40.14.
4x400 relay: 1, Stanford 3:05.76.
High jump: 9, Jaak Uudmae 6-8 ¾ (2.05).
Pole vault: 4, Harrison Williams 17-2 ¾ (5.25).
Long jump: 3, Jaak Uudmae 24-7 (7.49).
Shot put: 5, Tristen Newman 60-9 ¼ (18.52).
Discus: 9, Jake Koffman 172-3 (52.52).
Hammer: 7, Tristen Newman 203-8 (62.08); 8, Michael Painter 203-1 (61.91).
Javelin: 5, Trevor Danielson 222-9 (67.89); 8, Will Kingsfield 212-3 (64.69).
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Stanford event highlights:
Women
800: Olivia Baker excels in conference championships. She is a two-time MPSF indoor 800 champ and the 2016 Pac-12 400 winner. She brings a 2:01.02 personal best into this race, which also features Oregon's Sabrina Southerland, who ranks No. 2 among collegians this year, at 2:01.44. This is only Baker's second 800 of the outdoor season, but she has a 2:00.09 split at the end of the winning sprint medley relay at the National Relay Championships in Arkansas.
1,500: Stanford sophomore Christina Aragon emerged into the national collegiate spotlight with her 1,600 anchor leg in the distance medley relay at the NCAA indoor championships. Aragon stalked Oregon leader Lilli Burdon and gained on her to the finish, though Oregon ultimately won by 0.03. Aragon and Burdon meet again, along with NCAA indoor third-placer Jessica Hull of Oregon.
5,000: This race has the potential to be among the best in the meet. Stanford brings its 1-2 punch of Vanessa Fraser, the top American collegian this year, and Fiona O'Keeffe, a returning first-team All-America in this event. Six of the top eight finishers from the Pac-12 cross country championships are in the field.
4x400 relay: Stanford – with a lineup of Carolyn Wilson, Gaby Gayles, Missy Mongiovi, and Olivia Baker – comes in as the top seed and the No. 8 foursome in the nation. But the Cardinal will battle a traditionally strong Oregon relay squad, which comes in with a season-best of only 0.28 behind.
Shot put: In every throwing event except the javelin, Stanford will send its best against Arizona State's Maggie Ewen, one of top competitors in women's collegiate track and field. Stanford's Lena Giger (59-4 ¼, 18.09) comes in only 2 ½ inches off the school outdoor record held by Olympian Jillian Camarena and as the No. 2 seed behind Ewen.
Discus: Stanford's Valarie Allman won two Pac-12 discus titles before redshirting last year, surrendering the conference crown to Arizona State's Maggie Ewen. Allman is the American leader, having earned her best throw (206-1 ½, 62.83) in a non-collegiate competition victory over Ewen in their only discus meeting this year, though Ewen is the official collegiate leader.
Javelin: Stanford won this event the past six years. Stanford junior Mackenzie Little is the two-time defending champion who this year broke the school record held by four-time Pac-12 champ Brianna Bain. Stanford sophomore volleyball star Jenna Gray, however, handed Little her only first loss in seven collegiate home appearances, at the Cardinal Classic.
Men
1,500: Grant Fisher is the defending champ and Stanford teammate Sean McGorty is the school mile record-holder with a 3:53.95 indoors in 2016. This race can be tricky, as Fisher found out two years ago as a freshman when he got caught in traffic and failed to reach the final. He was pressed by Cal's Garrett Corcoran at the Big Meet and Oregon has three in the field who have broken 3:40 this year.
3,000 steeplechase: Steven Fahy has been on a roll since cross country season when he placed third in the Pac-12 and among the top-20 at NCAA's. Fahy has yet to be fully pushed in either of his two steeplechases this year – both victories, at the Big Meet and Cardinal Classic – and comes in with the No. 2 time in the field.
5,000: Grant Fisher is the reigning NCAA champion in this event and Stanford teammate Sean McGorty was the 2016 NCAA outdoor runner-up and an Olympic Trials finalist. This would be an interesting double for each, coming about 2 hours and 10 minutes after the 1,500 final. Colorado's Zach Perrin returns to Cobb Track and Angell Field after finishing a close second to Fisher at the Cardinal Classic.
4x400 relay: Michael Norman anchored USC to a world indoor record of 3:00.77 in winning the NCAA title in March. However, the Stanford team of Frank Kurtz, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Gabriel Navarro, and Julian Body enters with a better outdoor season best, of 3:05.76. Kurtz and Brandt-Sims were part of the Stanford quartet that won the 2016 Pac-12 title, as Stanford won the event at conference for the first time since 1954.
Pole vault: Stanford's Harrison Williams won the Pac-12 decathlon title on Sunday, but competes in his strongest event here. Williams cleared 17-2 ¾ (5.25) in the eighth event of a two-day decathlon. What can he do when he is more fresh? The Pac-12 leader is Washington State's Sander Moldau at 17-8 ¼ (5.39).
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Stanford athletes in NCAA West Prelims qualifying position going into this weekend:
(top 48 advance in individual events, and 24 on relays; the top 24 in the country in the decathlon advance to the NCAA final):
Women
400: 20, Olivia Baker 53.03; 27, Gaby Gayles 53.18; 31, Missy Mongiovi 53.42; 36, Carolyn Wilson 53.60; 44, Ashlan Best 53.96.
800: 16, Elise Cranny 2:06.01; 20, Olivia Baker 2:06.31.
1,500: 2, Vanessa Fraser 4:10.63; 3, Christina Aragon 4:12.28; 9, Elise Cranny 4:14.73; 31, Maddy Berkson 4:21.01; 42, Julia Heymach 4:21.80; 48, Jordan Oakes 4:22.88; 48, Jessica Lawson 4:22.88.
3,000 steeplechase: 35, Ella Donaghu 10:26.99; 45, Jordan Oakes 10:31.46.
5,000: 2, Vanessa Fraser 15:20.10; 7, Fiona O'Keeffe 15:38.82; 28, Abbie McNulty 16:07.01.
10,000: 11, Abbie McNulty 33:37.36.
4x400 relay: 2, Stanford (Carolyn Wilson, Gaby Gayles, Missy Mongiovi, Olivia Baker) 3:31.65.
Pole vault: 5, Kaitlyn Merritt 14-0 ½ (4.28); 17, Erika Malaspina 13-8 ¼ (4.17); 46, Jackie McNulty (12-11 ½ (3.95).
Long jump: 37, Daryth Gayles 20-1 (6.12).
Triple jump: 25, Marisa Kwiatkowski 41-9 ¾ (12.74); 36, Aria Small 41-2 ¼ (12.55).
Shot put: 2, Lena Giger 59-4 ¼ (18.09).
Discus: 3, Valarie Allman 199-0 (60.65).
Hammer: 13, Valarie Allman 208-2 (63.46).
Javelin: 1, Mackenzie Little 192-4 (58.63); 5, Jenna Gray 178-11 (54.53); 19, Virginia Miller 162-8 (49.59).
Men
100: 35, Isaiah Brandt-Sims 10.41; 42, Gabriel Navarro 10.43.
200: 43, Isaiah Brandt-Sims 21.01.
800: 45, Hari Sathyamurthy 1:49.93.
1,500: 11, Sean McGorty 3:40.57; 15, Grant Fisher 3:41.24; 38, Tai Dinger 3:44.51; 48, Tom Coyle 3:45.22.
3,000 steeplechase: 13, Steven Fahy 8:48.79.
5,000: 5, Grant Fisher 13:36.77; 15, Sean McGorty 13:41.10; 30, Jack Keelan 13:50.48.
10,000: 22, Sam Wharton 29:11.33.
400 hurdles: 48, Julian Body 52.18.
4x400 relay: 14, Stanford (Frank Kurtz, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Gabriel Navarro, Julian Body) 3:05.76.
Pole vault: 23, Harrison Williams 17-2 ¾ (5.25).
Shot put: 17, Tristen Newman 60-9 ¼ (18.52).
Hammer: 29, Tristen Newman 203-8 (62.08); 30, Michael Painter 203-1 (61.91).
Javelin: 16, Trevor Danielson 222-9 (67.89); 27, Will Kingsfield 212-3 (64.69).
Decathlon (in nation): 5, Harrison Williams 7,925.
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Stanford plays host to the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships on May 12-13 on Cobb Track and Angell Field. Tickets are $10/adult; $5/student, youth, seniors. Fans can save $5 per person by purchasing their tickets online, and in-advance. To secure your tickets for the Championships, visit gostanford.com/pac12track.
