HEUSDEN, Belgium – Vanessa Fraser ran to a Stanford record of 15:09.62 in the women's 5,000 meters at the Night of Athletics track and field meet Saturday night.
Fraser, who competed as a graduate student in management science and engineering this year while completing a five-year Stanford career, was seventh while breaking her personal record by more than 10 seconds.
In the men's 5,000, Stanford's NCAA champion Sean McGorty ran a lifetime best 13:21.93 to place 10th.
Though Fraser signed with the Bowerman Track Club after the NCAA Championships, her three meets since are considered by Stanford as an extension of her collegiate season, therefore she is credited with breaking the school standard of 15:11.13 that Aisling Cuffe set at the 2014 Payton Jordan Invitational. Cuffe's time remains the fastest by a Stanford runner during a collegiate season.
The seven fastest times by Americans this year all came in the Heusden race, with Fraser fifth among that group. Shelby Houlihan, paced by Shalane Flanagan, ran an American record 14:34.45 to win. But Fraser distinguished herself by climbing to No. 6 on the all-time collegiate performers' list (including races outside the collegiate season) with the seventh-fastest collegiate performance ever.
The University of Missouri's Karissa Schweizer, now a Bowerman TC teammate, jumped to No. 2 on both lists with a third-place 15:02.44.
Fraser came to Stanford as a walk-on from Scotts Valley High, about 35 miles south of Stanford, and steadily grew into a 10-time All-America, placing fourth in the 2018 NCAA outdoor 5,000 and then fifth at the U.S. Championships in June. She graduated in 2017 with a degree in symbolic systems with a concentration on neuroscience and since had been working toward her master's.
Fraser's greatest achievement this year has been her range, with outstanding times from 1,500 to 10,000, the event she won at the Pac-12 Championships. Last weekend, Fraser ran a lifetime 1,500 best of 4:09.74, the No. 3 time in school history, in Kortrijk, Belgium.
According to research by Erik Boal of DyeStat.com, Schweizer and Fraser became the 26th and 27th Americans in history to have run under 4:10 in the 1,500 and 15:10 in the 5,000. Former Stanford star Lauren Fleshman also is on that list.
Taking that accomplishment one step further, Fraser and Schweizer are two of only five Americans to accomplish the feat before age 23. The other three are among the greatest runners in U.S. history: Suzy Favor Hamilton (21 years, 223 days), Jenny Simpson (22 years, 342 days), and Shalane Flanagan (22 years, 347 days). Schweizer is 21 years, 312 days, and Fraser 22 years, 359 days.
Fraser's previous 5,000 best was 15:20.10, from this year's Payton Jordan meet. After that race, Fraser was disappointed in her time and knew she was capable of running faster. She was right.
For the second time in a week, McGorty ran a personal best. Following his 3:36.61 to win the 1,500 in his European debut in Kortrijk, McGorty broke another PB. This time his 5,000 best of 13:24.25 from 2016 went down.
McGorty strengthened his hold on the No. 3 spot among Stanford racers at that distance. Chris Derrick's indoor 13:19.58 from 2012 remains the fastest by a Stanford runner during a collegiate season and Ryan Hall's NCAA-winning 13:22.32 in 2005 remains the fastest during a collegiate outdoor season.
Just over a year ago, McGorty had Achilles surgery and, with one exception, went 16 months without running an individual race. In his comeback, McGorty patiently rebuilt his base and was at his best as the season drew to a close -- winning the NCAA outdoor 5,000 title, advancing to his first U.S. Championships 1,500 final, and breaking personal records in both the 1,500 and 5,000 to complete his season in style.
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Night of Athletics
Results
Men
5,000 (A) – 10, Sean McGorty 13:21.93, personal best, No. 3 Stanford all-time.
5,000 (C) – 9, Jack Keelan 14:08.37.
Women
5,000 – 7, Vanessa Fraser 15:09.62, personal best, Stanford record.