SEATTLE – In what could prove to be a match race for an NCAA Championships berth, Stanford outran BYU to win the men's distance medley relay at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor track and field championships on Friday.
The 12 fastest relay teams in the nation through this weekend, and top 16 in individual events, advance to the NCAA Championships March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Stanford had sent men's DMR teams to the past nine NCAA championship meets and this was its last chance to make it 10. Stanford entered the weekend with the No. 12 time in the country, and BYU was the first one out at No. 13. Stanford needed to protect its position and did, at least at this meet, though results from conference championships around the country will have to be accounted for.
The Stanford team of Alex Ostberg, Louis Stenmark, Isaac Cortes, and Grant Fisher clocked 9:31.39 to runner-up BYU's 9:37.94 on Dempsey Indoor's 307-meter track.
Stanford athletes captured two titles on the first of two days of competition at the University of Washington. Besides the men's DMR, Kaitlyn Merritt and Erika Malaspina finished one-two in the women's pole vault, each at a height of 13-11 (4.24 meters).
In the men's 60, Isaiah Brandt-Sims broke his own Stanford record, running 6.71 in the prelims.
Stanford won its first MPSF DMR title since 2008 and third overall. This was the sophomore Stenmark's first DMR, which quickly became a two-team race, though UCLA made a bid to reach Cortes, but was unable.
Fisher took the baton with a three-second deficit, but stayed patient, pulled up to the shoulder of BYU anchor Matt Owens with 600 to go, and burst past on the penultimate backstretch. Fisher extended the lead to the finish.
Merritt became Stanford's first MPSF pole vault champ since future Olympic champ Katerina Stefanidi won in 2008. Stefanidi is the only vaulter in school history to jump higher than Merritt and Malaspina.
Malaspina cleared 13-11 on her third try, eclipsing her lifetime best of 13-10 (4.22m), which she accomplished outdoors last year in a third-place performance at the Pac-12 Championships.
Merritt cleared the same height on her first try, which gave her the victory. However, both also had NCAA qualifying in mind and knew it would require something over 14-2 (4.32m). After their winning clearances, Merritt and Malaspina passed on 14-0 ¾ (4.29m) and went straight to 14-2 ¾ (4.34m), though they were unsuccessful.
Brandt-Sims went far under his 6.79 school mark on Jan. 26 at the UW Invitational on the same track. He was the fourth qualifier into the final.
Stanford had season bests in two runner-up finishes. The women's DMR team of Jessica Lawson, Ashlan Best, Carolyn Wilson, and Fiona O'Keeffe ran 11:02.50, and Harrison Williams jumped 17-5 ½ (5.32m) in the men's pole vault.
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MPSF Championships
At Dempsey Indoor
(307-meter track)
Friday's results (first of two days)
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
Team scores – 1, UCLA 43; 4, Stanford 25.
60 prelims – 4, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 6.71 (school record); 17, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 6.89.
200 – 1, Duane McClurkin (Colorado) 21.09; 26, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 22.58.
5,000 – 1, Robert Brandt (UCLA) 13:57.31; 5, Alek Parsons (Stanford) 14:00.95; 6, Steven Fahy (Stanford) 14:01.04; 9, Connor Lane (Stanford) 14:05.34 (PB); 10, Michael Vernau (Stanford) 14:06.00.
60 hurdles prelims – 12, Julian Body (Stanford) 8.20.
Distance medley relay – 1, Stanford (Alex Ostberg, Louis Stenmark, Isaac Cortes, Grant Fisher) 9:31.39.
Pole vault – 1, Sondre Guttormsen (UCLA) 17-7 ¼ (5.37m); 2, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 17-5 ½ (5.32m).
Weight throw – 1, Justin Stafford (UCLA) 71-0 ¾ (21.66m); 19, Jake Koffman (Stanford) 53-7 (16.33m); 22, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 53-3 ½ (16.24m).
Women
Team scores – 1, USC 31; 4, Stanford 26.
60 prelims – Kennedy Gamble (Stanford) DNF.
200 – 1, Dior Hall (USC) 23.83; 21, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 25.19.
Distance medley relay – 1, Oregon 10:57.87; 2, Stanford (Jessica Lawson, Ashlan Best, Carolyn Wilson, Fiona O'Keeffe) 11:02.50.
Pole vault – 1, Kaitlyn Merritt (Stanford) 13-11 (4.24m); 2, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 13-11 (4.24m) (PB, No. 3 Stanford AT); 13, Jackie McNulty (Stanford) 12-1 ¼ (3.69m); 13, Nicole Summersett (Stanford) 12-1 ¼ (3.69m).
Weight throw – 1, Camryn Rogers (Cal) (69-0 ½ (21.04m); 17, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 51-8 ¼ (15.75m).
Pentathlon – 1, Erinn Beattie (UC Davis) 4,185; 10, Allie Jones (Stanford) 3,618 (PB, No. 4 Stanford AT, No. 4 Stanford frosh); 18, Giana Gayles (Stanford) 3,067.
Allie Jones (event, place, mark, points): 60H – 6, 8.75, 963; HJ – 12, 5-2 ¼ (1.58m), 712; SP – 8, 37-0 ¼ (11.28m), 614; LJ – 16, 17-0 ½ (5.19m), 612; 800 – 8, 2:28.08, 717. Total – 3,618.
Giana Gayles (event, place, mark, points): 60H – 5, 8.73, 967; HJ – 5, 5-4 ½ (1.64m), 783; SP – 9, 36-7 (11.15m), 605; LJ – 4, 18-2 ¼ (5.54m), 712; 800 – DNF. Total 3,067.
PB- personal best
AT = all-time
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Stanford's Saturday Schedule (changes possible):
10 a.m.: Women's high jump (Rachel Reichenbach).
10:30 a.m.: Women's shot put (Lena Giger).
11:10 a.m.: Women's mile (Ella Donaghu, Julia Heymach, Jordan Oakes, Catherine Pagano).
11:40 a.m.: Men's mile (Tai Dinger, Grant Fisher).
11:55 a.m.: Women's 400 (Sarah Walker).
Noon: Women's triple jump (Aria Small).
Noon: Men's high jump (Trevor Rex).
12:30 p.m.: Men's 400 (Isaac Westlund).
1 p.m.: Men's 60 final (Isaiah Brandt-Sims).
1:05 p.m.: Women's 800 (Caitlin Collier, Kaitlin Ryan).
1:30 p.m.: Men's 800 (Isaac Cortes, Nathaniel Kucera, Hari Sathyamurthy, Brian Smith).
1:30 p.m.: Men's triple jump (Fisayo Omilana).
2 p.m.: Women's 3,000 (Fiona O'Keeffe, Abbie McNulty, Jessica Lawson, Jordan Oakes).
2:35 p.m.: Men's 3,000 (Alex Ostberg, Steven Fahy, Connor Lane, Clayton Mendez, Alek Parsons, DJ Principe, Thomas Ratcliffe, Michael Vernau).
3 p.m.: Women's 4x400 (Carolyn Wilson, Ashlan Best, Kennedy Gamble, Missy Mongiovi).
3:20 p.m.: Men's 4x400 (Julian Body, Louis Stenmark, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Gabriel Navarro).
