DES MOINES, Iowa – Not long after the Stanford women nearly pulled off a stunning victory at the NCAA Championships and the men earned a top-10 finish, 12 Cardinal compete at the USA Track and Field Championships beginning Thursday.
Valarie Allman and Vanessa Fraser have made something of an impact at this meet. Allman was third last year in the discus and earned a place on the national team that competed at the IAAF World Championships in London. Fraser was seventh in the 5,000 and served notice that she would have a stellar 2018.
Though many of the 12 have competed at this level, at a U.S. Championships or the Olympic Trials, this is the beginning for those who have completed their collegiate eligibility and are considering or have committed to pro careers, like Allman, Fraser, Olivia Baker, Jack Keelan, and Sean McGorty.
McGorty went out in storybook fashion, winning the NCAA outdoor 5,000 title in his final collegiate race. A few days later, McGorty, who earned his master's in management science and engineering, signed with a management company and will be making his pro debut this weekend. McGorty, however, will switch up and compete in the 1,500. He is a 3:53 miler and ran a lifetime 1,500 best of 3:40.57 at the Stanford Invitational and seems poised to run faster.
Decathlete Harrison Williams will attempt to shake off the misfortune from the NCAA Championships, when he was in third place after the first day, only for a wipeout in the 110 hurdles to effectively remove him from the competition. A few stitches in his shin later, Williams, the Pac-12 champion, will be out to continue the momentum from NCAA Day One.
In addition, five alums compete, including 2017 world 400 hurdles champion Kori Carter. This year, Carter will concentrate on the 100 hurdles, an event in which she placed second at NCAA's in her final season at Stanford, in 2013.
A possible impact athlete is alumnae Jessica Tonn in the 10,000. In her first post-collegiate 10,000, on May 3, Tonn won the Payton Jordan Invitational in 31:54.83, which remains the fastest time by an American this year and makes her No. 14 in the world.
Here are the members of the 2018 Stanford roster scheduled to compete:
Men: Trevor Danielson (javelin), Steven Fahy (3,000 steeplechase), Grant Fisher (5,000), Jack Keelan (5,000), Sean McGorty (1,500), Harrison Williams (decathlon).
Women: Valarie Allman (discus), Christina Aragon (1,500), Olivia Baker (800), Elise Cranny (1,500), Vanessa Fraser (5,000), Lena Giger (shot put).
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Meet information
USA Track and Field Championships
Where: Des Moines, Iowa
Site: Drake Stadium
When: Thursday-Sunday
Live Results: Click here.
Meet Schedule: Click here.
Start lists: Click here.
TV schedule (all times Pacific):
Thursday: NBC Sports Gold, 11 a.m.
Friday: NBC Sports Gold, 9:30 a.m.; NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m. (delayed).
Saturday: NBC Sports Gold, 8 a.m.; NBC, 1 p.m.
Sunday: NBC Sports Gold, 9:30 a.m.; NBC, 1 p.m.
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All Stanford-affiliated entries, including alums, with graduating class:
Men
1,500: Sean McGorty '17.
3,000 steeplechase: Steven Fahy '18.
5,000: Grant Fisher, Jack Keelan '17.
10,000: Garrett Heath '08.
Pole vault: Garrett Starkey '16.
Javelin: Trevor Danielson '18.
Decathlon: Harrison Williams '18.
Women
800: Olivia Baker '18.
1,500: Christina Aragon '20, Elise Cranny '18.
5,000: Vanessa Fraser '17.
10,000: Jessica Tonn '14.
100 hurdles: Kori Carter '14.
Shot put: Lena Giger '18.
Discus: Valarie Allman '17, Summer Pierson '00.
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Stanford schedule
(all times Pacific)
Thursday
11 a.m.: Decathlon 100 (Section 2: Harrison Williams).
11:55 a.m.: Decathlon long jump (Flight 2: Harrison Williams).
Noon: Women's discus final (Flight 2: Valarie Allman, Summer Pierson).
12:20 p.m.: Women's 800 first round (Heat 2: Olivia Baker), top 3 +4.
12:55 p.m.: Decathlon shot put (Flight 1: Harrison Williams).
1:35 p.m.: Women's 1,500 first round (Heat 2: Christina Aragon; Heat 3: Elise Cranny), top 3 +3.
1:55 p.m.: Men's 1,500 first round (Heat 2: Sean McGorty), top 3 +3.
2:10 p.m.: Decathlon high jump (Flight 1: Harrison Williams).
4:40 p.m.: Decathlon 400 (Section 2: Harrison Williams).
5 p.m.: Women's 10,000 final (Jessica Tonn).
5:40 p.m.: Men's 10,000 final (Garrett Heath).
Friday:
9:30 a.m.: Decathlon 110 hurdles (Section 1: Harrison Williams).
10:30 a.m.: Decathlon discus (Harrison Williams).
1 p.m.: Decathlon pole vault (Flight 1: Harrison Williams).
1:15 p.m.: Men's 3,000 steeplechase semifinals (Heat 1: Steven Fahy), top 5 +4.
1:50 p.m.: Women's 100 hurdles first round (Heat 3: Kori Carter), top 3 +7.
2:30 p.m.: Decathlon javelin (Harrison Williams).
4:35 p.m.: Decathlon 1,500 (Harrison Williams).
4:50 p.m.: Women's 800 semifinals, top 4.
Saturday
11:30 a.m.: Men's pole vault final (Garrett Starkey).
12:10 p.m.: Men's javelin final (Flight 1: Trevor Danielson).
12:20 p.m.: Women's 100 hurdles semifinals, top 4.
1:46 p.m.: Women's 1,500 final.
2:40 p.m.: Men's 1,500 final.
2:52 p.m.: Women's 100 hurdles final.
Sunday
12:10 p.m.: Women's shot put final (Flight 1: Lena Giger).
1:04 p.m.: Women's 800 final.
1:22 p.m.: Women's 5,000 final (Vanessa Fraser).
1:55 p.m.: Men's 3,000 steeplechase final.
2:30 p.m.: Men's 5,000 final (Grant Fisher, Jack Keelan).
