TAMPERE, Finland – Stanford's Ashlan Best completed competition at the IAAF World Under-20 Track and Field Championships by helping Canada to fourth place in the women's 4x400-meter relay Sunday.
Best, a freshman this season, ran the third leg for Canada, which set a national U20 record of 3:31.96. The race concluded a busy week for Best, who also competed in the 400 and 200. Stanford incoming freshman Caitlin Collier of the U.S. was 12th in the 1,500 final on Sunday and reached the 800 semifinals earlier in the week.
Best placed eighth in the 400 on Thursday. She ran 53.59, a day after running a lifetime best and Stanford freshmen record 53.24 in the semifinals at Ratina Stadium.
Best advanced to the final by earning the second and final automatic qualifying spot in her heat. Her time broke the 2015 mark of Stanford teammate Olivia Baker. Until then, Best's personal record was 53.27 from 2016, and her season best was 53.91 from Tuesday's first round.
Best's 53.24 placed her No. 7 on Stanford's all-time performers' list and she became the fifth Cardinal woman to run 53.60 or faster this year, with all of them now among the fastest 11 individuals all-time at Stanford. They combined to reach the NCAA Championships in the 4x400 relay. Best ran the second leg on the team that placed 13th overall, earning Best her first All-America honor as a second-team selection.
In the 200, Best set a season best of 23.62 in the first round, jumping to No. 10 on Stanford's all-time performers' list. However, her 23.67 in Friday's semifinals was not enough to advance to the final.
Collier, out of Jacksonville, Florida, ran 4:26.61 in the 1,500 final. On Wednesday, she reached the semifinals in the 800, but did not advance, despite a fast time of 2:03.95 that matched that of U.S. teammate and NCAA outdoor champ Samantha Watson, who was in a different heat.
Collier placed fourth in the third of three heats. Only the top two in each qualified on time and Collier would have needed a 2:03.43 to reach the final. Collier and Texas A&M's Watson tied for 10th overall.
Collier ran a personal best 4:18.40 in the first round of the 1,500 to qualify for the final. It marked the third consecutive World U20 women's 1,500 final to include a Stanford runner or incoming freshman. In 2016, Christina Aragon won bronze, and in 2014 Stanford was represented by Elise Cranny and Anna Laman.
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IAAF World U20 Championships
Stanford results
Women
Sunday
1,500 final -- 12, Caitlin Collier (U.S.) 4:26.61.
4x400 relay final -- 4, Canada (third leg Ashlan Best) 3:31.93, national U20 record.
Saturday
4x400 relay first round -- Heat 2: 2, Canada (anchor Ashlan Best) 3:36.14. Canada advanced to Sunday's final.
Friday
200 first round -- Heat 2: 2, Ashlan Best (Canada) 23.62, No. 10 Stanford all-time, No. 3 Stanford frosh all-time.Best advanced to semifinals.
200 semifinals -- Heat 3: 3, Ashlan Best (Canada) 23.67.
1,500 first round -- Heat 2: 6, Caitlin Collier (U.S.) 4:18.40, personal best.Collier advances to Sunday's final.
Thursday
400 final -- 8, Ashlan Best (Canada) 53.59.
Wednesday
400 semifinals – Heat 2: 2, Ashlan Best (Canada) 53.24, Stanford frosh record, No. 7 Stanford AT.
800 semifinals – Heat 3: 4, Caitlin Collier (U.S.) 2:03.95, 10th overall.
Tuesday
400 first round – Heat 4: 4, Ashlan Best (Canada) 53.91, No. 4 Stanford frosh AT. Best advances to semifinals.
800 first round – Heat 4: 1, Caitlin Collier (U.S.) 2:11.30. Collier advances to semifinals.
