SEATTLE – Fiona O'Keeffe and Abbie McNulty became two of the three fastest 5,000-meter runners in Stanford indoor track and field history with their performances Friday at the Husky Classic at University of Washington.
O'Keeffe ran a school record 15:35.77 to finish as the top collegian and second overall, to break the 2007 mark of 15:37.97 held by Arianna Lambie since 2007. McNulty, who ran 15:58.23 outdoors last year, had a massive lifetime best of 15:42.13, on Dempsey Indoor's 307-meter track. McNulty becomes the No. 3 performer in Stanford indoor history.
O'Keeffe and McNulty became the 13th- and 16th-fastest on the season NCAA Division I list, which puts them on the bubble for passage into the NCAA Championships. Only those with the top 16 marks through the conference championships weekend advance to nationals March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Because of severe weather, the scheduled two-day meet was condensed into a single day. The change of plans didn't seem to bother Stanford. Of the 19 Cardinal men and women to compete Friday, nine set personal records, including over the same distances outdoors. Besides O'Keeffe and McNulty, the most notable was Alex Ostberg in the men's 3,000.
Ostberg, who became a sub-4 miler in his most recent meet (on the same track), this time was third in the 3,000 in 7:51.20, which was a 16-second improvement of his lifetime best. Ostberg's time placed him No. 7 on Stanford's all-time indoor performance list and sixth on the season collegiate list, which puts him in good shape for his first NCAA track and field qualifying berth.
In the women's mile, sophomore Julia Heymach took a four-second chunk out of her lifetime best, running 4:40.94. Heymach was eighth overall in the invitational section and the third collegian.
Husky Classic
At Dempsey Indoor
(307-meter track)
Winners and all Stanford competitors
Men
800 – 1, Harun Abda (Nike OTC Elite) 1:49.43; 9, Hari Sathyamurthy (Stanford) 1:51.20; 16, Nathaniel Kucera (Stanford) 1:53.95; 17, Brian Smith (Stanford) 1:54.23.
Mile – 1, Sam Worley (Texas) 3:57.98; 16, Thomas Ratcliffe (Stanford) 4:04.54; 25, Tai Dinger (Stanford) 4:07.00; 32, Clayton Mendez (Stanford) 4:08.84.
3,000 – 1, Cooper Teare (Oregon) 7:50.66; 3, Alex Ostberg (Stanford) 7:51.20 (PB, No. 7 Stanford AT); 33, DJ Principe (Stanford) 8:10.64 (PB).
5,000 – 1, Joe Klecker (Colorado) 13:35.97; 16, Alek Parsons (Stanford) 13:58.17 (PB); 22, Michael Vernau (Stanford) 14:02.09 (PB); 35, Connor Lane (Stanford) 14:10.84 (PB).
Women
800 – 1, Rebecca Mehra (Oiselle) 2:04.32; 5, Justine Fedronic (Roka) 2:05.53; 17, Caitlin Collier (Stanford) 2:12.17.
Mile – 1, Nikki Hiltz (Adidas) 4:31.42; 8, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 4:40.94 (PB); 10, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:43.77; 39, Catherine Pagano (Stanford) 5:05.82.
3,000 – 1, Jessica Hull (Oregon) 8:53.91; 12, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 9:09.88 (PB); 28, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 9:22.91 (PB).
5,000 – 1, Regan Yee (Langley Mustangs) 15:35.28; 2, Fiona O'Keeffe (Stanford) 15:35.77 (Stanford indoor record); 5, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 15:42.13 (PB, No. 3 Stanford AT).
* * *
Navarro runs fast 200
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stanford sophomore Gabriel Navarro clocked an indoor personal best in the 200 meters by 0.33, a large improvement in the sprints, on the way to placing sixth at the Don Kirby Collegiate Invitational at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Navarro's time of 21.29 placed him No. 3 on Stanford's all-time indoor performers' list, behind only Jimmie Johnson's 21.17 from 1997 and Amaechi Morton's 21.27 from 2011. Frank Kurtz '18 is now No. 4 at 21.37.
Rachel Reichenbach was seventh in the women's high jump invitational at 5-7 ½ (1.72m), trying three times at a personal best 5-9 ¼ (1.72m).
Don Kirby Collegiate Invitational
At Albuquerque Convention Center
(200-meter track)
Winners and all Stanford competitors
Men
200 – 1, Cravon Gillespie (Oregon) 20.73; 6, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.29 (No. 3 Stanford AT); 8, Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Stanford) 21.53; 37, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 22.32.
400 unseeded – 4, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 48.90.
High jump – 1, Frank Harris (Southern Utah) 7-3 (2.21m); 15, Trevor Rex (Stanford) 6-5 ½ (1.97m).
Weight throw – 1, Alex Young (Velaasa) 77-6 ½ (23.63m); 16, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 53-11 ¾ (16.45m); Jake Koffman (Stanford) NM.
Women
200 – 1, Iman Brown (Oregon) 23.36; 16, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 24.25; 31, Kennedy Gamble (Stanford) 24.72; 35, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 24.78.
400 unseeded – 25, Sarah Walker (Stanford) 57.81.
High jump invitational – 1, Erinn Beattie (UC Davis) 5-10 ¾ (1.80m); 7, Rachel Reichenbach (Stanford) 5-7 ¾ (1.72m).
Weight throw – 1, Alyssa Wilson (UCLA) 72-11 ¼ (22.23m); 19, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 55-3 (16.84m).
Stanford's Saturday Schedule (all times Pacific)
8:30 a.m.: Women's shot put (Flight 3: Jaimi Salone, Flight 4: Lena Giger).
9 a.m.: Women's pole vault (Nicole Summersett, Jackie McNulty, Erika Malaspina, Kaitlyn Merritt).
9:30 a.m.: Men's 60 hurdles qualifying (Section 1: Julian Body).
9:30 a.m.: Women's triple jump (Aria Small).
9:40 a.m.: Women's 60 qualifying (Section 6: Ashlan Best, Kennedy Gamble).
10:05 a.m.: Men's 60 qualifying (Section 1, Andrew Franco; Section 4: Gabriel Navarro).
10:30 a.m.: Men's 60 hurdles semifinals (Julian Body).
11:05 a.m.: Men's 60 semifinals (Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Andrew Franco, Gabriel Navarro).
11:15 a.m.: Women's 60 semifinals (Ashlan Best, Kennedy Gamble).
Noon: Women's pole vault (Nicole Summersett, Jackie McNulty, Erika Malaspina, Kaitlyn Merritt).
12:10 p.m.: Men's 60 hurdles final (Julian Body).
12:30 p.m.: Men's 400 (Julian Body, Louis Stenmark).
12:45 p.m.: Women's 400 (Missy Mongiovi, Carolyn Wilson).
1:05 p.m.: Men's 60 final (Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Andrew Franco, Gabriel Navarro).
1:10 p.m.: Women's 60 final (Ashlan Best, Kennedy Gamble).
1:35 p.m.: Men's 4x400 relay (Julian Body, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Louis Stenmark, Gabriel Navarro).
1:50 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay (Missy Mongiovi, Kennedy Gamble, Ashlan Best, Carolyn Wilson).
