Photos, including Mackenzie Little above, by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Stanford secured three qualifiers for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships through their performances on opening day of the three-day NCAA West Prelims at Hornet Stadium.
Mackenzie Little and Jenna Gray advanced in the women's javelin and Lena Giger in the women's shot put Thursday by placing among the top 12. They join Harrison Williams, who already qualified in the decathlon, on June 6-9 in Eugene, Oregon.
For Little, a junior and three-time Pac-12 champion, this will be her third national championship meet and the second for Gray, a sophomore and All-America setter on the Stanford volleyball team. Their success marks the eighth consecutive year that Stanford has had an NCAA qualifier in the women's javelin.
Little was the top qualifier with a throw of 187-7 (57.19 meters) and Gray was ninth at 165-8 (50.50m). With only three throws, each attempt was crucial. Little fouled on her first try, but pushed aside any drama with a 178-6 (54.42m) on her second, which would have won if she didn't surpass it on her third throw. Gray's second throw was her longest, moving her into qualifying position.
Olivia Baker wins her heat of the 800.
Giger, sixth at the NCAA indoor championships in March, was fourth in the shot at 55-10 ½ (17.03m), getting that distance on her first throw. She advances to her second NCAA outdoor championships.
Stanford brought 38 individuals and three relay teams to the meet with its greatest representation in the women's 1,500, with five competitors -- three advanced to Saturday's final round. Needing to finish among the top five in any of the four heats to move on automatically, Christina Aragon placed second in Heat 3, and in Heat 2, Elise Cranny was third and freshman Jessica Lawson fifth.
Hari Sathyamurthy advances in the 800.
In the men's 800, redshirt freshman Hari Sathyamurthy was impressive in earning the third and final qualifying spot in his heat for Friday's final round. Sathyamurthy twice made a move on the final lap to get himself in position, first on the backstretch and again off the final turn. He maintained a one-step lead on Iowa State's Jaymes Dennison down the straightaway to advance.
Most of the races were tactical, which put an emphasis on finishing kicks. That played right into the talents of Stanford senior Olivia Baker, who made a bold move on the backstretch of the final lap to win her heat easily, in 2:06.34 and advance to Friday's final round. Baker is a five-time NCAA 800 finalist, including indoors and outdoors.
Nearly two weeks ago, Isaiah Brandt-Sims placed third in the 200 at the Pac-12 Championships, becoming Stanford's highest placer in that event since 1997. On Thursday, Brandt-Sims continued his strong season by advancing in the 100. Brandt-Sims, also a special teams specialist on the football team, ran 10.43 to place fifth in his heat and advanced to Friday's final round on time, while tied for the final qualifying spot.
Missy Mongiovi was not so fortunate in the women's 400. The junior ran 53.97, but was the first one out, missing the final spot by 0.04.
Abbie McNulty missed passage to the NCAA Championships by two spots in the only round of the 10,000, but ran 33:07.41 to set a lifetime best by 24 seconds in becoming the third-fastest in Stanford history at that distance.
In a fast race that would advance 12, a lead pack of 11 had a substantial lead, creating a drama for the chase pack in which only one would qualify. McNulty led the chase pack for good portion of the race before Oregon's Alli Cash emerged to pull away.
Still, McNulty placed 14th and jumped five spots from No. 8 on Stanford's all-time 10,000 list, passing Anita Siraki, Alex Gits, Stephanie Marcy, Ellen Lyons, Carol Gray and Vanessa Fraser. McNulty's time was faster than Fraser's meet record of 33:10.84 that won the Pac-12 title on May 12.
Elise Cranny leads Jessica Lawson in the 1,500. Each advanced.
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Thursday's Stanford results
NCAA West Prelims
At Hornet Stadium, Sacramento
Men
100 – 23, Isaiah Brandt-Sims 10.43; 29, Gabriel Navarro 10.48w. Brandt-Sims advances to Friday's final round.
800 – 12, Hari Sathyamurthy 1:50.07; 41, Christian White 1:52.90. Sathyamurthy advances to Friday's final round.
1,500 – 24, Tai Dinger 3:51.87; 28, Tom Coyle 3:53.31.
10,000 – 18, Jack Keelan 29:32.98; 37, Sam Wharton 30:18.16.
Hammer – 20, Michael Painter 203-8 (62.09m); 38, Tristen Newman 193-4 (58.92m).
Women
400 – 25, Missy Mongiovi 53.97; 31, Carolyn Wilson 54.57; 32, Ashlan Best 54.61.
800 – 7, Olivia Baker 2:06.84. Baker advances to Friday's final round.
1,500 – 14, Christina Aragon 4:23.01; 25, Elise Cranny 4:25.67; 27, Julia Heymach 4:26.05; 31, Jessica Lawson 4:26.95; 36, Maddy Berkson 4:30.32. Aragon, Cranny, and Lawson advance to Saturday's final round.
10,000 – 14, Abbie McNulty 33:07.41, personal best, No. 3 Stanford all-time.
Long jump – 35, Daryth Gayles 18-10 (5.74m).
Shot put – 4, Lena Giger 55-10 ½ (17.03m). Giger advances to NCAA Championships.
Javelin – 1, Mackenzie Little 187-7 (57.19m); 9, Jenna Gray 165-8 (50.50m); 25, Virginia Miller 144-11 (44.17m). Little and Gray advance to NCAA Championships.
Christina Aragon advanced in the 1,500.
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Stanford's remaining schedule:
Friday
4:30 p.m.: Women's discus first round and semifinal (Valarie Allman).
4:30 p.m.: Women's pole vault first round and semifinal (Kaitlyn Merritt, Erika Malaspina).
6 p.m.: Men's 100 quarterfinal (Isaiah Brandt-Sims).
6:30 p.m.: Men's 800 quarterfinal (Hari Sathyamurthy).
6:45 p.m.: Women's 800 quarterfinal (Olivia Baker).
7:55 p.m.: Women's 200 first round (Ashlan Best).
8:20 p.m.: Men's 3,000 steeplechase quarterfinal (Steven Fahy).
9 p.m.: Women's 3,000 steeplechase quarterfinal (Jordan Oakes).
Saturday
Noon: Women's hammer first round and semifinal (Valarie Allman).
Noon: Men's javelin first round and semifinal (Trevor Danielson, Will Kingsfield).
4:30 p.m.: Men's shot put first round and semifinal (Tristen Newman).
4:30 p.m.: Women's triple jump first round and semifinal (Marisa Kwiatkowski).
6 p.m.: Men's 4x100 relay quarterfinal.
6:45 p.m.: Women's 1,500 quarterfinal (Christina Aragon, Elise Cranny, Jessica Lawson).
7:50 p.m.: Women's 200 quarterfinal.
8:05 p.m.: Men's 5,000 semifinal (Grant Fisher, Jack Keelan, Sean McGorty).
8:45 p.m.: Women's 5,000 semifinal (Vanessa Fraser, Jessica Lawson, Abbie McNulty, Fiona O'Keeffe).
9:25 p.m.: Men's 4x400 relay quarterfinal.
9:45 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay quarterfinal.
Olivia Baker.