Photos by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Stanford's NCAA Track and Field Championships qualifiers now total nine after five Cardinal advanced at the NCAA West Prelims on Friday.
For the first time in Stanford history, two Cardinal women's pole vaulters advanced in the same year -- Kaitlyn Merritt and Erika Malaspina. Olivia Baker won her heat of the 800 and will make her fourth NCAA Outdoor appearance in the event, and Valarie Allman was the second qualifier in the discus and advances for the fourth time as well.
For the men, Steven Fahy was a time qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and makes his first NCAA Outdoor meet.
Seven Stanford women have earned passage to Eugene for nationals on June 6-9 and two men. Last year, Stanford's men and women combined for eight total qualifiers. Expect more Cardinal to move on with first-team All-America distance runners Elise Cranny, Vanessa Fraser, Grant Fisher, and Sean McGorty competing Saturday to close the three-day competition.
Erika Malaspina
Merritt and Malaspina became Stanford's first women's pole vault qualifiers since reigning Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi in 2010-12.
In each event, the top 12 advance, and the pole vault field fell neatly into that standard, with exactly 12 clearing 13-8 ½ (4.18m), ending the competition at that height.
Merritt was among five to go through without a miss. She opened at 12-4 ¾ (3.78m) and cleared the next three heights. Malaspina was perfect on her first three jumps, but at the pivotal height of 13-8 ½, she missed on her first two tries. However, she pulled through on her final attempt and now, along with Merritt, is on the verge of her first All-America honor.
"I'm so incredibly proud of these two," said Stanford associate head coach and pole vault coach Michael Eskind. "We've been talking about this for a long time, and for it to come to fruition was awesome."
It's been the best season for each, with Merritt, a redshirt sophomore, placing second and Malaspina, a sophomore, third at the Pac-12 Championships two weeks ago. This was their first NCAA qualifying meet.
"They were both so solid today," Eskind said. "For both to advance is special. We're looking forward to Eugene."
Steven Fahy
In the steeplechase, Fahy ran 8:37.50 – a nine-second lifetime best for the Pac-12 champion. Fahy jumps six spots on Stanford's all-time list to No. 3, passing Fred Carter, David Vidal, Jonathan Pierce, Benjamin Johnson, David Frank and J.T. Sullivan. He becomes the first Cardinal NCAA qualifier in that event since Johnson in 2012.
Fahy needed to run fast. Only the top three in each of the three 16-runner heats would advance automatically. Running in the first heat, Fahy was leading after seven laps, but was unable to hold the spot over the final 200 and was passed by three runners, who gained those coveted top-three places.
However, Fahy was fourth in what would be the fastest heat and ran the fastest time of the three non-automatic qualifiers. That allows Fahy, a redshirt junior, to continue a breakthrough year that also has featured his first two All-America honors, in cross country and indoor track.
Baker, a senior, provided another achievement to her outstanding career by winning her heat in the 800 and advancing to the NCAA Championships every time in her career, reaching nationals indoors and outdoors in every season since her freshman year.
Olivia Baker.
A nine-time All-American, Baker has reached the NCAA outdoor 800 final the past two years. She'll make another bid this year after she controlled the race Friday night to win in 2:03.46. Baker got in a good position quickly, then held back for much of the first lap before making a big move to the front with 250 to go. Using her arms, Baker maintained good form to the finish, winning her heat decisively for an automatic qualifier.
Allman faced two other expected NCAA contenders in the discus and finished sandwiched between the two. Allman threw 195-9 (59.68m) on her second attempt to place second to Kansas State's Shadae Lawrence at 203-9 (62.10m). Arizona State's Maggie Ewen, the Pac-12 champion, was third at 194-9 (59.37m).
Friday's competition seemed like an NCAA preview. The top 10 collegiate throwers this year all were in the field. And, afterward, the three top throwers by distance among all Americans this year are, in order: Allman, Ewen, and Lawrence.
Allman will add to an already strong Stanford women's throwing presence at NCAA's, with Lena Giger (shot put), Mackenzie Little (javelin), and Jenna Gray (javelin) all having qualified.
Valarie Allman.
* * *
Friday's results
NCAA West Prelims
At Hornet Stadium, Sacramento
Stanford results
Men
100 – 14, Isaiah Brandt-Sims 10.41, ties PB, ties No. 2 Stanford AT.
800 – 22, Hari Sathyamurthy 1:51.58.
3,000 steeplechase – 4, Steven Fahy 8:37.50. Fahy advances to NCAA Championships.
Women
200 – 27, Ashlan Best 23.78, No. 4 Stanford frosh AT.
800 – 6, Olivia Baker 2:03.46. Baker advances to NCAA Championships.
3,000 steeplechase – 29, Jordan Oakes 10:18.19.
Pole vault – 1, Kaitlyn Merritt 13-8 ½ (4.18m); 11, Erika Malaspina 13-8 ½ (4.18m). Merritt and Malaspina advance to NCAA Championships.
Discus – 2, Valarie Allman 195-9 (59.68m). Allman advances to NCAA Championships.
PB = personal best.
AT = all-time.
Volunteer assistant Dan Lefever, Erika Malaspina, Kaitlyn Merritt, associate head coach Michael Eskind.
* * *
Stanford's Remaining Schedule
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.