SEATTLE – Stanford junior Fiona O'Keeffe set a meet record in the women's 3,000 meters at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor track and field championships on Saturday, winning in the second-fastest time in school history.
O'Keeffe clocked 8:58.58, the second-fastest time in Stanford indoor history, to repeat as MPSF champ and secure a spot in the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama. The nation's top 16 through this weekend earn passage and it appeared as if O'Keeffe moved into the top 10.
The only faster time in Stanford history is 8:53.1 by PattiSue Plumer from 1983.
The meet ended with Stanford placing second in the men's 4x400 relay in a school record of 3:07.66 on the 307-meter Dempsey Indoor track. The team of Julian Body, Gabriel Navarro, Louis Stenmark, and Isaiah Brandt-Sims shattered the year-old mark of 3:09.38 set by the team of Body, Frank Kurtz, Louis, and Navarro.
Brandt-Sims broke his own school record in the 60 prelims on Friday and placed fifth in the final on Saturday. He now owns four school records – the indoor 60, 4x400, and distance medley relay, and outdoor 4x400. He has broken Stanford records eight times.
Victories by O'Keeffe, and pole vaulter Kaitlyn Merritt on Friday, highlighted performances for the Stanford women, who finished second in the team competition, with 67.5 points.
The Cardinal men, which won the distance medley relay on Friday, were seventh with 42.
With help from teammate Jordan Oakes, who paced the early laps, O'Keeffe got off to a strong start and settled into steady pace. She took the lead with 2 ½ laps to go and extended her lead all the way to the finish.
In the women's shot put, fifth-year senior Lena Giger earned her fourth top-five MPSF finish and repeated as runner-up. Giger's best throw was 56-6 (17.22m), in the third round. She briefly took the lead on her 55-6 ¼ (16.92m) in the opening round, but Arizona State's Samantha Noennig assumed the lead immediately afterward and led throughout, though Giger would finish only seven inches short.
In the women's triple jump, Card sophomore Aria Small took the lead in the third round and ultimately placed fourth, in 41-7 ¼ (12.68m).
In the women's 800, freshman Caitlin Collier ran a season best by more than four seconds to place third overall, but first in her heat. Collier ran 2:06.64 to move into the Stanford all-time indoor performers' list at No. 9.
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MPSF Championships
At Dempsey Indoor
(307-meter track)
Saturday's results (second of two days)
Winners and Stanford competitors
(More results to come)
Men
Team scores -- 1, BYU 93; 2, UCLA 76; 3 (tie), California, Oregon, USC, each 63; 6, Arizona 56; 7, Stanford 42; 8 (tie), Colorado, Washington State, each 38; 11, Long Beach State 35; 12, Arizona State 30; 13, CSUN 28; 14, Portland 1.
60 – 1, Brendon Stewart (USC) 6.60; 5, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 6.73.
400 – 1, Michael Bluth (BYU) 46.58; 27, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 49.54.
800 – 1, Isaiah Jewett (USC) 1:47.20; 20, Nathaniel Kucera (Stanford) 1:54.38; 22, Brian Smith (Stanford) 1:54.56;
Mile – 1, William Paulson (Arizona State) 3:58.07; 7, Tai Dinger (Stanford) 4:03.92.
3,000 – 1, Robert Brandt (UCLA) 7:50.27; 6, Thomas Ratcliffe (Stanford) 7:54.36; 12, Clayton Mendez (Stanford) 8:04.36 (PB); 18, Michael Vernau (Stanford) 8:10.93; 21, Connor Lane (Stanford) 8:11.65; 30, DJ Principe (Stanford) 8:24.19.
4x400 relay – 1, USC 3:06.40; 2, Stanford (Julian Body, Gabriel Navarro, Louis Stenmark, Isaiah Brandt-Sims) 3:07.66 (school record).
High jump – 1, Earnie Sears (USC) 7-1 (2.16m); 16, Trevor Rex (Stanford) 6-6 ¾ (2.00m).
Triple jump – 1, Tuomas Kaukolahti (Cal) 53-0 ¾ (16.17m); 9, Fisayo Omilana (Stanford) 46-5 ½ (14.16m) (PB).
Women
Team scores -- 1, USC 120; 2, Stanford 67.5; 3, Oregon 61; 4, Colorado 58; 5, Arizona 51; 6, Washington 50; 7 (tie), BYU, Arizona State, each 46; 9, Long Beach State 27; 10 (tie), California, Utah, each 23; 12, UC Davis 22.5; 13, UCLA 20; 14, Washington State 17; 15, Oregon State 11; 16 (tie), CSUN, Portland, each 6; 18, San Francisco 4; 19, UC Riverside 3.
400 – 1, Kyra Constantine (USC) 52.07; 20, Sarah Walker (Stanford) 57.46.
800 – 1, Lauren Ellsworth (BYU) 2:06.48; 3, Caitlin Collier (Stanford) 2:06.64 (No. 9 Stanford AT); 31, Kaitlin Ryan (Stanford) 2:14.25.
Mile – 1, Erica Birk (BYU) 4:34.59; 9, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 4:44.49; 10, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:46.84; 14, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 4:50.53; 16, Catherine Pagano (Stanford) 4:52.54.
3,000 – 1, Fiona O'Keeffe (Stanford) 8:58.58 (PB, meet record, No. 2 Stanford AT); 6, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 9:08.43; 14, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 9:19.40.
4x400 relay – 1, USC 3:37.01; 4, Stanford (Carolyn Wilson, Ashlan Best, Sarah Walker, Missy Mongiovi) 3:40.78.
High jump – 1, Lillian Lowe (Arizona) 5-10 ½ (1.79m); 4, Rachel Reichenbach (Stanford) 5-8 ½ (1.74m).
Triple jump – 1, Jessica Barreira (Arizona State) 42-4 (12.90m); 4, Aria Small (Stanford) 41-7 ¼ (12.68m).
Shot put – 1, Samantha Noennig (Arizona State) 57-1 (17.40m); 2, Lena Giger (Stanford) 56-6 (17.22m).
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
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Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier
SEATTLE – Stanford's MPSF champ Kaitlyn Merritt made a final bid for an NCAA berth at the Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier. Merritt won the competition at 13-7 (4.14m), but the real purpose was to get into the national top 16.
Merritt took three tries at a personal best 14-2 ¾ (4.34m), which would have been enough to get to Birmingham, but was unable to clear.
Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier
At Dempsey Indoor
Women
Pole vault – 1, Kaitlyn Merritt (Stanford) 13-7 (4.14m); 2, Jackie McNulty (Stanford) 12-8 ¼ (3.87m); 5, Nicole Summersett (Stanford) 12-2 ½ (3.72m).
