STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford senior Mackenzie Little set a meet record in the women's javelin to at the 44th Stanford Invitational track and field meet on Friday at Cobb Track and Angell Field.
Her performance was accompanied by massive marks elsewhere in the meet, such as a collegiate outdoor record in the women's pole vault by Washington's Olivia Gruver at 15-6 ¼ (4.73 meters), breaking the mark of 15-5 ¾ (4.72m) set by Arkansas' Sandi Morris in 2015.
And incredible times were run in the invitational section of the women's 10,000 meters. In that race, pro Emily Sisson became the third-fastest performer in American history, and ran the sixth-fastest race by an American, when she clocked a meet record 30:49.67.
Behind Sisson and runner-up Molly Huddle, who already holds the American record, Boise State's Allie Ostrander, Syracuse's Paige Stoner, and Alaska-Anchorage's Caroline Kurgat ran three of the 13 fastest 10,000's ever run by collegians – and all got lapped. Kurgat's 32:08.09 shattered the NCAA Division II record 20 seconds.
Sisson crushed Shalane Flanagan's meet record of 31:04.85 from 2013. The top six women's 10,000 times in the world this year came from that race. The top 10 men's 10,000 times in the world came from Friday's fast section.
Perhaps the most amazing stat concerning this race from a Stanford perspective is that the fastest 16 women's 10,000 times in collegiate history all have been run on Stanford's Cobb Track and Angell Field. That includes times run at the Stanford and Payton Jordan invitationals.
Alek Parsons. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
Besides the records, the meet was blessed by the appearance of global champions Brianna Rollins-McNeal, Dalilah Muhammad, and Vashti Cunningham.
Rollins-McNeal, the 2016 Olympic 100 hurdles champion, won the 100 in her season debut, running 11.43. Not ready to race over hurdles at this point in a season that should last into November, Rollins-McNeal has used the Stanford Invite as her debut meet the past two years.
Muhammad, the 2016 Olympic 400 hurdles champ, got in some speedwork by winning the 400 in 52.63. And Cunningham, the 2016 world indoor champion in the high jump, won Friday with a clearance of 6-4 ¼ (1.94m), just one centimeter off the meet record.
As for Little, she continued the roll that she has been on since … well, her freshman year, but especially since winning the NCAA championship in June. Including that meet, Little has exceeded 190 feet three times. No other collegiate thrower has reached that plateau even once.
On Friday, Little threw 192-1 (58.55 meters) on her second throw, breaking the meet record of 190-11 (58.20m) set by Oregon's Rachel Yurkovich in 2009.
Little leaped with joy after her first throw, but it wasn't for the distance of 187-3, which would have won. Instead, it was because throws coach Amin Nikfar allowed her to throw a second time. The plan for Little was to throw once, unless she showed good enough form to earn another one. She did. And even was granted a third, though it was a foul.
Repeating their NCAA 1-2 finish, second place went to Stanford junior Jenna Gray, who threw 184-0 (56.09m), the second-longest throw of her life. Gray, a first-team All-America setter for the national champion Stanford volleyball team, is now training twice a week with the track team – an increase over last year.
Jordan Oakes. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
Stanford highlights came in the men's 5,000, when Connor Lane broke 14 minutes for the first time, dipping under the standard with a 13:59.43 in the 5,000.
Jessica Lawson finished strong in snapping her personal record in the 1,500 by five seconds, with a 4:16.85 for the sophomore, placing fourth in the invitational section.
Thomas Ratcliffe, making his collegiate outdoor debut, ran a lifetime best 3:44.53 to place fifth in men's fast section of the 1,500.
Freshman Max McKhann crushed his best in the hammer by 15 feet, winning the collegiate section in 196-2 (59.80m).
And Ashlan Best, a 200-400 standout, twice improved upon her lifetime best in the 100, placing third at 11.64.
Finally, Redwood High of Larkspur's Stanford-bound senior Liam Anderson won the boys' 3,200 in a meet record in 8:59.77. He will be back in action Saturday in the 1,600.
Ashlan Best. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
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Friday's results
Stanford Invitational
At Cobb Track & Angell Field
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
100 – 1, Yuki Koike (unat.) 10.07w; 5, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 10.44w. Prelims: 7, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 10.59w; 44, Miles Zoltak (Stanford) 11.29; 45, Andrew Franco (unattached) 12.61.
400 – 1, Elliott Davis (Minnesota) 46.81; 11, Louis Stenmark (Stanford) 48.31.
1,500 – Invite: 1, William Paulson (Arizona State) 3:42.53; 5, Thomas Ratcliffe (Stanford) 3:44.53 (PB); 7, Steven Fahy (Stanford) 3:45.03 (PB). Sec. 3: 7, Tai Dinger (Stanford) 3:50.25; 8, Clayton Mendez (Stanford) 3:51.35; 10, Isaac Cortes (Stanford) 3:57.50. Sec. 4: 9, Hari Sathyamurthy (Stanford) 3:54.62. Sec. 5: 6, Liam Conway (unat.) 3:52.75 (PB).
5,000 – Invite: 1, Kyle Mau (Indiana) 13:44.43. Sec. 2: 12, Connor Lane (Stanford) 13:59.43 (PB).
10,000 -- Invite: 1, Conner Mantz (BYU) 28:18.18. Sec. 2: 3, Alek Parsons (Stanford) 28:56.01 (PB); 10, Michael Vernau (Stanford) 29:06.84 (PB).
110 hurdles – Final: 1, Greggmar Swift (Barbados) 13.72w.
400 hurdles – 1, Paramveer Chohan (California) 50.63.
High jump – Invite: 1, Darryl Sullivan (Tennessee) 7-2 ½ (2.20m). Collegiate: 2, Trevor Rex (Stanford) 6-7 (2.01m).
Long jump – Invite: 1, Jalen Tate (Tennessee) 25-3 ¼ (7.70m).
Discus – Invite: 1, Nathan Dunivan (Weber State) 187-6 (57.16m). Collegiate: 6, Jake Koffman (Stanford) 166-3 (50.68m); 8, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 164-3 (50.07m); 16, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 140-10 (42.93m).
Hammer – Collegiate: 1, Max McKhann (Stanford) 196-2 (59.80m) (PB, No. 4 Stanford frosh); 6, Landon Ellingson (Stanford) 160-5 (48.89m); 7, Jake Koffman (Stanford) 159-8 (48.66m).
Javelin – Invite: 1, Nicholas Howe (unat.) 251-8 (76.72m); 5, Will Kingsfield (Stanford) 194-4 (59.24m).
Women
100 – 1, Brianna Rollins-McNeal (Nike/HurdleMechanic) 11.43; 3, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 11.64 (PB). Prelims: 2, Ashlan Best (Stanford) 11.73 (PB).
400 – 1, Dalilah Muhammad (Nike/HurdleMechanci) 52.63; 11, Carolyn Wilson (Stanford) 55.84; 15, Sarah Walker (Stanford) 56.11; 19, Missy Mongiovi (Stanford) 56.50; 37, Mary Gillett (unat.) 59.65.
1,500 – Invite: 1, Lindsey Butterworth (New Balance) 4:13.05; 4, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 4:16.85 (PB). Sec. 2: 10, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 4:31.80. Sec. 3: 1, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 4:19.16 (PB); 4, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:22.34; 10, Caitlin Collier (Stanford) 4:28.50. Sec. 7: 10, Kaitlin Ryan (Stanford) 4:37.32; 12, Claire Smith (Stanford) 4:54.11.
5,000 -- Invite: 1, Jessica Hull (Oregon) 15:34.93.
10,000 -- Invite: 1, Emily Sisson (New Balance) 30:49.57 (meet record); 28, Abbie McNulty (Stanford) 33:30.57.
100 hurdles – Final: 1, Keira Christie-Gall (Iowa State) 13.28. Prelims: 18, Allie Jones (Stanford) 14.48; 19, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 14.56w.
400 hurdles – 1, Chloe Foster (Michigan) 59.65; 14, Hannah Labrie-Smith (Stanford) 1:03.14.
Pole vault – Invite: 1, Olivia Gruver (Washington) 15-6 ¼ (4.73m) (meet record); 2, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 13-2 ½ (4.03m); 3, Kaitlyn Merritt (Stanford) 13-2 ½ (4.03m); 8, Nicole Summersett (Stanford) 11-10 ¾ (3.63m); 9, Jackie McNulty (Stanford) 11-10 ¾ (3.63m).
High jump – Invite: 1, Vashti Cunningham (Nike) 6-4 ¼ (1.94m); 6, Rachel Reichenbach (Stanford) 5-7 ¼ (1.71m). Collegiate: 9, Giana Gayles (Stanford) 4-11 ½ (1.51m).
Long jump – Invite: 1, Melaina Payton (Oiselle) 20-7 ¼ (6.28m). Collegiate: 6, Yinka Braimah (Stanford) 18-3 ¾ (5.58m); 7, Allie Jones (Stanford) 17-10 ¾ (5.45m).
Shot put – Invite: 1, Tess Keyzers (Minnesota) 54-2 ½ (16.52m). Collegiate: 10, Jaimi Salone (Stanford) 42-2 ¾ (12.87m); 14, Giana Gayles (Stanford) 40-0 ½ (12.20m).
Hammer – Invite: 1, Stamatia Scarvelis (Tennessee) 220-6 (67.21m); 7, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 181-10 (55.43m) (ties PB, No. 4 Stanford frosh).
Javelin – Invite: 1, Mackenzie Little (Stanford) 192-1 (58.55m) (meet record); 2, Jenna Gray (Stanford) 184-0 (56.09m); 5, Virginia Miller (Stanford) 152-11 (46.61m).
Rachel Reichenbach. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
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Stanford's Saturday Schedule:
9:30 a.m.: Girls' pole vault (Laurel Wong (Santa Catalina)).
11:54 a.m.: Boys' 1,600 (Liam Anderson (Redwood)).
1:37 p.m.: Women's 4x100 relay (Sec. 2: Stanford).
2:27 p.m.: Women's 800 (Sec. 1: Claire Smith, Sarah Walker; Sec. 3: Jordan Oakes, Kaitlin Ryan; Sec. 4: Ella Donaghu, Julia Heymach; Sec. 6: Carolyn Wilson).
2:48 p.m.: Men's 800 (Sec. 4: Nathaniel Kucera, Brian Smith (unat.); Sec. 5: Isaac Cortes, Tai Dinger, Hari Sathyamurthy).
3 p.m.: Women's discus (Invite: Jaimi Salone).
3 p.m.: Men's shot put (Collegiate: Sal Spina).
3:12 p.m.: Women's 200 (Sec. 2: Mary Gillet (unat.); Sec. 3: Hannah Labrie-Smith; Sec. 6: Missy Mongiovi; Sec. 8: Ashlan Best).
3:30 p.m.: Men's triple jump (Invite: Keyshawn King, Fisayo Omilana).
3:30 p.m.: Women's triple jump (Invite: Aria Small).
3:40 p.m.: Men's 200 (Sec. 2: Isaac Westlund; Sec. 6: Gabriel Navarro).
4:58 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay (Sec. 2: Stanford 'B'; Sec. 3: Stanford 'A').
5:16 p.m.: Men's 4x400 relay (Sec. 2: Stanford 'B'; Sec. 1: Stanford 'A').
Throws coach Amin Nikfar congratulates Mackenzie Little. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.