MONMOUTH, Ore. – Fiona O'Keeffe led a 1-2-3 Stanford finish to highlight a Cardinal women's domination of the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships on Friday.
Despite competing in the strongest conference in the country – with three teams ranked in the nation's top five – No. 2 Stanford's 27 points were the lowest in the Pac-12 women's meet since 2008. It was the first conference women's title for Stanford since 2010 and the victory came under new coaches J.J. Clark, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field, and Ricardo Santos.
O'Keeffe, a senior earth systems major, was front and center from the gun, and made a big move early. In windy conditions, that left O'Keeffe having to break the wind for others, making her vulnerable. Still, she showed no sign of weakness and no one answered.
"Her toughness prevailed," Clark said.
O'Keeffe covered the 6-kilometer (3.73-mile) course at Ash Creek Preserve in 19:32.7. She was followed across the line by teammates Ella Donaghu and Jessica Lawson.
"It's special to have a conference championship," Clark said. "To go 1-2-3 is historic."
Fiona O'Keeffe, Ella Donaghu, and Jessica Lawson go 1-2-3 to lead Stanford to #Pac12XC title! pic.twitter.com/6nNruwzZuy
— StanfordXCTF (@StanfordXCTF) November 1, 2019
"This conference is so strong you can never go into it with that kind of expectation," O'Keeffe said on Pac-12 Network. "But I was so happy when I turned around and saw Ella and Jess right there. It was so exciting."
Jordan Oakes took eighth and Julia Heymach 13th to put all five Stanford scorers ahead of runner-up Washington's fourth runner.
It was Stanford's lowest score and first 1-2-3 individual finish since 2006, when Arianna Lambie, Katy Trotter, Amanda Trotter, and Teresa McWalters went 1-4 while Stanford scored 22 to win the Pac-10 title. That Stanford team captured the second of three consecutive national titles.
"I compliment the team for being welcoming with open arms," Clark said. "We were able to start moving in the right direction immediately. Winning is always exciting, but especially in your first year."
O'Keeffe had to make an emotional check when she put on her cardinal red singlet. It was her first time wearing since she fell in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas, in June. Her seventh place was deeply disappointing, especially considering it was her second fall in an NCAA track final.
But O'Keeffe's frontrunning kept her out of trouble and she earned Stanford its fourth women's individual title in the past eight years. Aisling Cuffe was Stanford's most recent champion, in 2013 and 2015, and Kathy Kroeger won in 2012. This was Stanford's 21st conference women's championship.
Alex Ostberg earned a third consecutive top-four finish.
The Stanford men were third with 69 points. Thomas Ratcliffe made a bid for the lead in the final kilometer of the 8K (4.97-mile) race. But Colorado's Joe Klecker re-took the lead and pulled away while Ratcliffe faded to sixth. Alex Ostberg earned his third consecutive top-four conference finish by pacing the Cardinal in fourth, in 23:08.0.
The No. 3 Stanford men were unable to retain their title after winning the past two years, but they did extend their streak of top-three conference finishes to 25 years.
"The men are in great shape," Clark said. "They had poor execution at 4K. They learned from it and will move on. Third is not horrible, but the feeling on the team is that we can do better. And they will."
Stanford next races at the NCAA West Regional, on Nov. 15 in Colfax, Washington. The NCAA Championships are Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Fiona O'Keeffe leads, with Ella Donaghu on the left and Jessica Lawson on the right.
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Pac-12 Championships
At Ash Creek Preserve, Monmouth, Ore.
Men (8K, 4.97 miles)
Team – 1, Colorado 41; 2, Oregon 57; 3, Stanford 69; 4, UCLA 84; 5, Washington 87; 6, Washington State 204; 7, California 233; 8, Arizona 240; 9, Arizona State 242.
Individuals – 1, Joe Klecker (Colorado) 23:02.7; 4, Alex Ostberg (Stanford) 23:08.0; 6, Thomas Ratcliffe (Stanford) 23:15.1; 16, Steven Fahy (Stanford) 23:27.4; 21, Clayton Mendez (Stanford) 23:40.1; 22, Alek Parsons (Stanford) 23:40.4; 30, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (Stanford) 23:52.6; 31, DJ Principe (Stanford) 23:57.2; 49, Liam Conway (Stanford) 24:31.8; 51, Connor Lane (Stanford) 24:37.5; DNF, Joshua Schumacher (Stanford).
Women (6K, 3.73 miles)
Team – 1, Stanford 27; 2, Washington 55; 3, Utah 86; 4, Colorado 89; 5, Oregon 115; 6, Arizona 191; 7, Oregon State 197; 8, UCLA 217; 9, California 241; 10, Washington State 250; 11, Arizona State 318; 12, USC 400.
Individuals – 1, Fiona O'Keeffe (Stanford) 19:32.7; 2, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 19:34.9; 3, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 19:38.1; 8, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 19:52.7; 13, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 20:02.9; 26, Abi Archer (Stanford) 20:28.6; 40, Christina Aragon (Stanford) 20:50.1; 53, Hannah DeBalsi (Stanford) 21:03.5; 85, Kristin Fahy (Stanford) 21:37.6.