TUCSON, Ariz. – Mackenzie Little captured her fourth consecutive Pac-12 women's javelin title and Steven Fahy repeated in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase in a lightning-delayed performances on the opening night of the conference championship meet.
Little set a meet record of 194-0 (59.13m) to extend Stanford's run of consecutive titles in this event to eight, following the career sweep of Brianna Bain. Little is the fourth in conference history to accomplish the feat and becomes the fourth different Pac-10/Pac-12 women's javelin champion from Stanford.
Both Little and Fahy earned their championships late at night after lightning delayed action for three hours. Little completed her throws after midnight and the final runners in the women's 10,000 – the opening night's final event – crossed the finish line at 12:50 a.m.
Fahy, a fifth-year senior, wasn't fazed at all, controlling the race over the final 600 to seize the lead from Arizona's Bailey Roth and won by six seconds. In last year's Pac-12 meet at Stanford, Roth, the 2017 winner, also led for most of the race, only for Fahy move ahead on the final lap in a duel with Washington's Andrew Gardner.
Fahy broke the Roy P. Drachman Stadium record of 8:47.69, set by Arizona State's Aaron Aguayo in 2004, and became the first repeat champion in that event since Aguayo won from 2004-07. No Stanford runner ever had repeated as conference steeplechase champion.
"We just really wanted to build intensity over the last three laps, as steadily as possible and really commit to a move when I made it," " Fahy told the Pac-12 Network. "Around a kilometer to go, when we really started ratcheting it up, I tried accelerate every hundred all the way to the finish, and tried to get enough of a lead to hold on."
Little's best throw came on her first attempt, which pretty much sealed the victory. No other collegian has thrown over 190 feet this year, but Little has done so in four of her five meets. She won by 16 feet and extended a personal winning streak to eight.
Teammate Jenna Gray, the 2018 NCAA runner-up behind Little, was third in 172-10 (52.68m).
In the women's 10,000, Stanford fifth-year senior Abbie McNulty placed fifth in 33:41.59, and was among six to run under the stadium record of 34:11.90 that had stood since 1983.
In the women's 400, sophomore Ashlan Best ran a lifetime best of 53.15 in the prelims, bumping her up one spot on Stanford's all-time performer's list to No. 6, just past 2018 teammate Gaby Gayles (58.18).
Though she did not advance to the 100 hurdles final, Hannah Labrie-Smith set a lifetime best of 13.96 to debut in Stanford's Top-10 list. She bumped Undine Becker (2003) and Lauren Stewart (2007), who shared the No. 10 spot at 14.00.
The meet continues Sunday with field events beginning at 11 a.m. and running events at 5:30 p.m.
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First-day results
Pac-12 Championships
At Roy P. Drachman Stadium
Winners and Stanford
Men
Team scores (after 7 of 21 events) – 1, UCLA 58; 8, Stanford 14.
100 prelims (9 advance) – Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) FS.
400 prelims (9 advance) – 6, Louis Stenmark (Stanford) 47.49; 20, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 49.59.
1,500 prelims (12 advance) – 4, Thomas Ratcliffe (Stanford) 3:49.67; 8, Grant Fisher (Stanford) 3:49.94; 14, Clayton Mendez (Stanford) 3:53.49.
10,000 final – 1, Robert Brandt (UCLA) 29:08.11; 9, Alex Ostberg (Stanford) 30:04.99 (PB); 10, Michael Vernau (Stanford) 30:07.88.
110 hurdles prelims (9 advance) – 13, Julian Body (Stanford) 14.42.
3,000 steeplechase final – 1, Steven Fahy (Stanford) 8:43.85 (stadium record).
Long jump final – 1, Tristan James (Oregon) 24-11 (7.59m); 17, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 21-11 ½ (6.69m).
Shot put final – 1, Jordan Geist (Arizona) 69-2 (21.08m); 13, Sal Spina (Stanford) 47-3 ½ (14.41m).
Hammer final – 1, Brock Eager (Washington State) 228-8 (69.71m); 10, Max McKhann (Stanford) 185-1 (56.42m); 13, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 164-10 (50.25m).
Javelin final – 1, Simon Litzell (UCLA) 243-6 (74.23m); 6, Liam Christensen (Stanford) 220-11 (67.34m); 8, Will Kingsfield (Stanford) 209-8 (63.91m).
Women
Team scores (4 of 21 events scored) – 1, Colorado 40; 3, Stanford 23.
400 prelims (9 advance) – 6, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 53.15 (PB, No. 6 Stanford AT); 12, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 55.47.
1,500 prelims (12 advance) – 4, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 4:21.06; 5, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:20.56; 6, Fiona O'Keeffe (Stanford) 4:21.11; 8, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 4:23.43.
10,000 final – 1, Isobel Batt-Doyle (Washington) 33:31.30 (stadium record); 5, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 33:41.59.
100 hurdles prelims (9 advance) – 16, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 13.96 (PB, No. 10 Stanford AT); 20, Allie Jones (Stanford) 14.44.
3,000 steeplechase final – 1, Val Constien (Colorado) 10:01.19 (stadium record); 6, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 10:26.94.
Javelin final – 1, Mackenzie Little (Stanford) 194-0 (59.13m) (meet record); 3, Jenna Gray (Stanford) 172-10 (52.68m); 12, Virginia Miller (Stanford) 147-3 (44.88m).
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
