SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Five Cardinal qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships through their performances on Thursday at the NCAA West Prelims.
A team captain and fifth-year senior, high jumper Rachel Reichenbach earned her first NCAA Championships berth by clearing a lifetime best on the first day of competition at Sacramento State. Three – Jenna Gray, Mackenzie Little, and Virginia Miller -- made it in the women's javelin, and . fifth-year senior Abbie McNulty in the 10,000.
It was the first time McNulty, Miller, or Reichenbach had advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Overall, Stanford has six qualifiers, including decathlete Harrison Williams, who advanced directly by virtue of his season-best score. There appear more to come. Among Stanford's key events Friday are the 3,000 steeplechase, with two-time Pac-12 champ Steven Fahy, and the men's javelin with No. 2 seed Liam Christensen. The meet concludes Saturday, with opportunities for even more qualifiers.
Jenna Gray. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
Gray, the best volleyball setter in the country, was the best javelin thrower in country on Thursday. Her winning distance of 180-9 (55.11m) was the best among the two NCAA qualifying meets, including the East Prelims in Jacksonville, Florida.
Little took the lead on her first throw of the third flight, at 178-7 (54.79m). The defending NCAA and four-time Pac-12 champ did not improve on that mark and slipped to fourth, ending her meet winning streak at eight.
There's not much room for error at the NCAA Prelims, and that was true in the javelin, in which each top competitor was given only three throws, rather than six. Gray improved by huge margins on each throw, opening at 156-0 (47.55m), to 169-1 (51.54m) to move into third, and then took the lead on her final toss.
Virginia Miller. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
Miller's position was a bit more precarious. If she didn't have her best throw of the day on her final attempt, she would have placed 15th. Instead, she launched a season best 162-4 (49.49m) to take seventh. Miller, a sophomore who was 12th at this year's Pac-12 Championships and 25th in this meet last year, became Stanford's sixth different NCAA qualifier in the women's javelin over the past nine years.
Of the 48 qualifiers in each individual event, the top 12 placers in each of the nation's two regionals advance to the NCAA Championships June 5-8 in Austin. Stanford entered 30 individuals – 17 women and 13 men -- plus one relay team in this meet.
Reichenbach has been consistent throughout her career, but this season, she has reached another level. She never cleared 5-10 until the National Relay Championships at Arkansas on April 27, but now has done so three consecutive times.
Her 5-10 ¾ placed her third, and strengthens her hold on the No. 5 spot on Stanford's all-time outdoor performer's list. Reichenbach's only other NCAA Prelims appearance was in 2017, when she was 21st at 5-8 1/2.
Reichenbach opened with a make at 5-7 (1.70m), but it was her second-try clearance at 5-8 3/4 (1.75m) that earned the spot to Austin. She took one more jump, clearing 5-10 3/4 before the competition was halted because all 12 qualifiers had been determined.
Abbie McNulty. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
McNulty missed NCAA outdoor qualifying last year by only two spots in the 10,000. This time, she didn't leave anything to chance, staying with a pack of eight that was in position to qualify as a group throughout the final stages of the race. McNulty held her position to run 33:41.60 for seventh. She qualified for NCAA's in the 5,000 indoors, but this will be her first outdoor championship appearance.
Thursday marked preliminary stages of the middle distance events and Stanford got a lifetime best from Hari Sathyamurthy, who advanced in the 800 in 1:49.29, running strong down the stretch to place fifth in the fastest of the night's six heats. He was the second-fastest time qualifier for Friday's final round and eighth overall.
Three Cardinal advanced in the women's 1,500, led by Jessica Lawson, who was second in her heat and earned an automatic spot into Saturday's final round. Lawson ran 4:19.19. Jordan Oakes (4:19.62) and Ella Donaghu (4:19.79). Oakes was a qualifier on time, having placed sixth in her heat, and Donaghu, who was fourth in hers, was automatic. Julia Heymach (4:22.77) was 1.38 seconds from an automatic qualifying spot in her heat and did not advance.
Jessica Lawson. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
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Thursday's Stanford results
NCAA West Prelims
At Hornet Stadium, Sacramento
Men
100 – 44, Gabriel Navarro 10.64.
400 – Louis Stenmark, DNS.
800 – 8, Hari Sathyamurthy 1:49.29 (PB). Sathyamurthy advances to Friday's next round.
10,000 -- 22, Alek Parsons 29:29.51; 32, Michael Vernau 29:53.44.
Women
400 – 13, Ashlan Best 53.19. Best advances to Friday's final round.
800 – 34, Carolyn Wilson 2:09.12.
1,500 – 15, Jessica Lawson 4:19.19; 19, Jordan Oakes 4:19.62; 20, Ella Donaghu 4:19.79; 28, Julia Heymach 4:22.77. Lawson, Oakes, and Donaghu advance to Saturday's final round.
10,000 – 7, Abbie McNulty 33:41.60. McNulty advances to NCAA Championships.
High jump – 3, Rachel Reichenbach 5-10 ¾ (1.80m) (PB, No. 5 Stanford AT). Reichenbach advances to NCAA Championships.
Long jump – 29, Aria Small 19-4 (5.89m).
Javelin – 1, Jenna Gray 180-9 (55.11m); 4, Mackenzie Little 178-2 (54.32m); 9, Virginia Miller 162-4 (49.49m). Gray, Little, and Miller advance to NCAA Championships.
Hammer – 33, Jordan Fong 189-5 (57.73m).
Mackenzie Little, Jenna Gray, Virginia Miller, throws coach Amin Nikfar. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
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Stanford's Remaining Schedule
Friday
Noon: Women's discus (Jaimi Salone).
Noon: Men's javelin (Liam Christensen, Will Kingsfield).
5 p.m.: Women's pole vault (Erika Malaspina, Kaitlyn Merritt).
5:30 p.m.: Women's 400 quarterfinal (Ashlan Best).
6:45 p.m.: Men's 800 quarterfinal (Hari Sathyamurthy).
7:30 p.m.: Women's 200 first round (Ashlan Best).
9 p.m.: Men's steeplechase quarterfinal (Steven Fahy).
Saturday
3 p.m.: Women's triple jump final (Aria Small).
6:30 p.m.: Women's 1,500 quarterfinal (Ella Donaghu, Jessica Lawson, Jordan Oakes).
7:35 p.m.: Women's 200 quarterfinal.
8:05 p.m.: Women's 5,000 quarterfinal (Abbie McNulty, Jordan Oakes, Fiona O'Keeffe).
8:45 p.m.: Men's 5,000 quarterfinal (Grant Fisher, Connor Lane, Alex Ostberg, Clayton Mendez, and Thomas Ratcliffe).
9:25 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay quarterfinal.
Abbie McNulty. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.