STANFORD, Calif. – As Yomif Kejelcha accelerated through the final two laps of his 5,000-meter race on Thursday night, it was clear, as it often is at the Payton Jordan Invitational, that this runner was special.
As public address announcer Kevin Selby noted while Kejelcha continued to widen his lead on a world-leading time, fans at Cobb Track and Angell Field were watching the best distance runner on Earth.
Kejelcha, an Ethiopian who set the world indoor mile record in Boston on March 3, highlighted the 24th annual distance-running carnival with a 13:10.72. Kejelcha covered the final 800 in 1:54 – an unheard of pace at the end of a three-mile run.
With the Olympic qualifying window now open, several attempted to reach the standards and three succeeded – Kejelcha in the men's 5,000, and Sifan Hassan (31:18.12) and Susan Krumins (31:23.81) in the women's 10,000.
In addition, there were 24 World Championships qualifiers, including 12 in men's 5,000 alone, and eight in the women's 10,000 meters.
There were six U.S.-leading times, five collegiate leaders, and three Olympic standards met. Plus, two national records – both by Colombian runners, Gerard Geraldo (13:21.31) in the men's 5,000 and Carolina Tabares (32:19.59) in the women's 10,000.
Grant Fisher and Stanford alum Sean McGorty chase Clayton Murphy. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
For Stanford, there were two big moments in particular. In the men's 1,500, senior Grant Fisher raced for the final time as a Cardinal on his home track and set a personal best in the 1,500 of 3:39.60. It got him only seventh place in a loaded race won by 2016 Olympic 800 bronze medalist Clayton Murphy.
Fisher made a bid for the lead on the final lap. Though he faded a bit down the stretch, he was two seconds under his lifetime best. Fisher was the 2017 Pac-12 champion in the 1,500 who went on to win the NCAA outdoor 5,000 title the same year.
"A time's a time," Fisher said. "But, at the end of the day, I want to win races. I need that last 100 to be there. It's coming. Got another month to go until NCAA's, but it's coming along."
Though it wasn't a marquee race – rather the second section of the men's 5,000 – another Cardinal highlight came from the performances of Connor Lane and Alex Ostberg. Each entered with a best of 13:59, but crushed those marks by 17 seconds. Lane clocked 13:42.31 and Ostberg 13:42.44 and likely solidified spots in the NCAA West Prelims.
Connor Lane and Alex Ostberg. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
There was a point, with about 700 meters to go, when Lane, who was just behind Ostberg, said, "I got you."
"I didn't know he was right with me," Ostberg said. "Hearing that is always comforting when you're running with a teammate. That was huge."
Stanford now has six who have run under 13:50 this year. Fisher, Thomas Ratcliffe, Steven Fahy, and Alek Parsons did it in the same race, at the Cardinal Classic on April 19. Freshman Clayton Mendez also went under 14 minutes in the previous section of the same race.
"I think it speaks to the program," Ostberg said. "I remember watching the Cardinal Classic from the stands, and that was the most inspiring race I've seen. Connor and I knew we had to pick up and carry our weight and respond to what those boys did two weeks ago."
Said Lane, "This is why I came here, to have a team that can do this. That makes it all worth it."
Julia Heymach drops four seconds off her lifetime best in the 1,500. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
In the third section of the women's 1,500, more breakthroughs came. Sophomore Julia Heymach dropped four seconds off her lifetime best. Her 4:17.74 helped pull teammates Ella Donaghu (4:18.71) and Jordan Oakes (4:18.85) to fast times. Donaghu's was a season best and Oakes a lifetime best. Now, the Cardinal women have six on the roster who have run under 4:20.
Other significant runs came from Fiona O'Keeffe, who took third in the second section of the women's 5000 in 15:38.88, and Julian Body, who ripped off a personal best 21.28 to win the men's 200.
Fiona O'Keeffe. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
However, it was the throwers who provided the punctuation to the meet for the Cardinal. Jaimi Salone threw the discus a lifetime best 168-4 (51.32m) to win the women's event, and Jordan Fong closed to within two inches of Lena Giger's school freshman record in the women's hammer. Fong's winning toss of 190-1 (57.94m) also was a lifetime best, and strengthened her hold on the No. 7 spot on Stanford's all-time performers' list.
The meet annually features great running, and continued to do with the likes of Jenny Simpson (who won the 5,000) and Emma Coburn (a rabbit for teammates in the 10,000) – two of America's all-time greatest – gracing Cobb track.
The book is now closed on the regular season for Stanford and the postseason beckons, beginning with Allie Jones in the Pac-12 heptathlon, which begins Friday in Tucson, Arizona. The Pac-12 Championships are May 11-12 and NCAA competition is just beyond.
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Kaitlyn Merritt. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
Payton Jordan Invitational
At Cobb Track and Angell Field
Winners and Stanford
Men
100 – 1, Andre Woodson (Auc Elite) 10.84.
200 – 1, Julian Body (Stanford) 21.28 (PB); 2, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.35; 3, Louis Stenmark (Stanford) 21.78.
400 – 1, Michael Ohioze (unattached) 47.72; 6, Isaac Westlund (Stanford) 49.47.
800 – 1, George Espino (Southern Utah) 1:48.44; 4, Hari Sathyamurthy (Stanford) 1:50.82; 8, Nathaniel Kucera (Stanford) 1:53.10; 9, Isaac Cortes (Stanford) 1:53.86.
1,500 -- 1, Clayton Murphy (Nike) 3:37.59; 4, Sean McGorty (Nike/Bowerman TC) 3:39.00; 7, Grant Fisher (Stanford) 3:39.60 (PB).
3,000 steeplechase – 1, Ryan Smeeton (Oklahoma State) 8:27.90.
5,000 – 1, Yomif Kejelcha (Nike Oregon) 13:10.72. Sec. 2: 5, Connor Lane (Stanford) 13:42.31 (PB); 7, Alex Ostberg (Stanford) 13:42.44 (PB); 24, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (unattached) 14:27.73 (PB).
10,000 – 1, Ben True (Saucony) 27:52.39l.
110 hurdles – 1, Julian Body (Stanford) 14.54.
High jump – 1, Trevor Rex (Stanford) 6-6 ¾ (2.00m).
Discus – 1, Michael Pertusati (UC Davis) 166-9 (50.83m); 2, Jake Koffman (Stanford) 164-6 (50.14m); 3, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 162-8 (49.58m).
Hammer – 1, Alex Young (Velaasa) 237-3 (72.31m); 2, Max McKhann (Stanford) 195-6 (59.58m); 5, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 165-11 (50.58m).
Stanford alums Elise Cranny and Rebecca Mehra raced in the top section of the 1,500. Photo by David Kiefer.
Women
100 – 1, Rae'vyn Lawler (Game-fit) 11.90.
200 – 1, Selena Arjona-Alcazar (Academy of Art) 25.27; 4, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 25.48.
400 – 1, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 54.02; 2, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 55.14.
800 – 1, Hanna Green (Nike OTC Elite) 2:01.60; 3, Olivia Baker (Garden State TC) 2:03.29; 8, Carolyn Wilson (Stanford) 2:08.26. Sec. 2: 6, Christina Aragon (unattached) 2:08.78. Sec. 3: 6, Sarah Walker (Stanford) 2:11.98.
1,500 – 1, Jessica Hull (Oregon) 4:12.08; 4, Elise Cranny (Nike/Bowerman TC) 4:13.20; 7, Rebecca Mehra (Oiselle) 4:14.62. Sec. 3: 4, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 4:17.74 (PB); 6, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:18.71; 7, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 4:18.85 (PB). Sec. 4: Maddy Berkson (PDC) 4:20.98.
3,000 steeplechase – 1, Allie Ostrander (Boise State) 9:45.66.
5,000 – 1, Jenny Simpson (New Balance) 15:21.12. Sec. 2: 3, Fiona O'Keeffe (Stanford) 15:38.88; 10, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 15:59.96.
10,000 – 1, Sifan Hassan (Nike Oregon) 31:18.12; 13, Jessica Tonn (unattached) 32:06.19.
100 hurdles – 1, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 14.52.
Pole vault – 1, Kaitlyn Merritt (Stanford) 13-10 (4.22m); 3, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 12-7 ½ (3.85m); 4, Jackie McNulty (Stanford) 12-3 ½ (3.75m); Nicole Summersett (Stanford) NH.
Discus – 1, Jaimi Salone (Stanford) 168-4 (51.32m) (PB).
Hammer – 1, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 190-1 (57.94m) (PB, No. 7 Stanford AT; No. 2 Stanford frosh).
Connor Lane. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.