FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ella Donaghu continued her incredible start to the track and field season, breaking the Stanford record for the mile on a regulation indoor track on Saturday.
Donaghu ran 4:33.71 to win the Razorback Invitational on the 200-meter banked track at the Randal Tyson Center. It was a personal best and edged the 4:34.48 by Elise Cranny in 2018 for the fastest in Stanford annals.
Cranny ran a 4:31.29 indoor mile on University of Washington's oversized 307-meter track in 2018 for the absolute Stanford record, but official records nationally count only races run on 200-meter tracks.
The runner-up to Donaghu was teammate Jessica Lawson, who crossed the line in 4:35.56. It was a personal best by more than two seconds over her PB of 4:37.64 set two weeks ago in Seattle. Therefore, Donaghu and Lawson jumped to Nos. 2 and 3 on Stanford's all-time indoor list.
"Ella and Jess ran great," said J.J. Clark, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field. "They both are on their way to great seasons."
Donaghu, a redshirt junior, ran the No. 7 high school 1,500 time in history while at Grant High of Portland, Oregon. Injuries set her back, but Donaghu emerged last spring by placing fifth in the 1,500 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning her first All-America honor, and has continued, and even built on, that momentum this academic year.
Donaghu was the NCAA West Region champ and Pac-12 runner-up in cross country, placing eighth at NCAA's for another All-America honor. This indoor season, she has continued to shine under Clark. At the UW Preview on Jan. 18, Donaghu ran the 3,000 in 8:58.31, the fastest by a Stanford runner indoors in 37 years. On Friday, Donaghu led off Stanford's winning team that ran the nation's fastest distance medley relay this year.
In the women's 800, Julia Heymach, a member of that DMR team, ran a PB of 2:04.94 to place second. She now is No. 4 in Stanford indoor history.
Clark liked the way Heymach got herself into a good position and for her fight to the finish line.
In the men's 400, Julian Body ran 47.68 to beat his best time by 0.01 and place ninth overall. The time makes Body No. 8 at Stanford all-time indoors. Freshman Karson Lippert 48.49 and Miles Zoltak ran 48.55. The three joined Brandon McGorty to run the 4x400 relay in 3:12.71.
"They have the making of a great team," Clark said.
Jordan Oakes (left) and Julia Heymach. Photo by Chuck Aragon.
* * *
Razorback Invitational
(200-meter banked track)
Winners and Stanford competitors
Men
60 – 1, Raymond Ekevwo (Florida) 6.53; 22, Dorien Simon (Stanford) 7.00; 31, Marcus Floyd (Stanford) 7.13 (PB).
400 – 1, Jonathan Jones (Texas) 46.04; 9, Julian Body (Stanford) 47.68 (PB, No. 8 Stanford AT); 20, Karson Lippert (Stanford) 48.49; 21, Miles Zoltak (Stanford) 48.55; 28, Andrew Franco (Stanford) 49.20; 32, Nick Comly (Stanford) 49.72.
800 – 1, James West (Oregon) 1:49.69; 9, Matt Rizzo (Stanford) 1:51.73; 10, Brandon McGorty (Stanford) 1:52.15.
Mile – 1, Cooper Teare (Oregon) 4:00.21; 7, DJ Principe (Stanford) 4:08.99; 8, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 4:10.53; 19, Clayton Mendez (Stanford) 4:12.81.
3,000 – 1, Jackson Mestler (Oregon) 7:58.89; 9, Callum Bolger (Stanford) 8:08.65 (PB); 10, Michael Vernau (Stanford) 8:08.71; 11, Connor Lane (Stanford) 8:11.75; 17, Evan Burke (Stanford) 8:21.26; 21, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (Stanford) 8:22.83 (PB).
4x400 relay – 1, Texas 3:07.85; 6, Stanford (Julian Body, Karson Lippert, Miles Zoltak, Brandon McGorty) 3:12.71.
Triple jump – 1, O'Brien Wasome (Texas) 53-9 (16.38m); 11, Keyshawn King (Stanford) 47-1 (14.35m); 14, Fisayo Omilana (Stanford) 45-3 (13.79m); 15, Jerry Zheng (Stanford) 44-8 (13.61m).
Women
60 – 1, Julien Alfred (Texas) 7.15; 18, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 7.66. Prelims -- 7, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 7.63
400 – 1, Kennedy Simon (Texas) 52.20; 15, Carolyn Wilson (Stanford) 55.18; 32, Mary Gillett (Stanford) 58.87.
800 – 1, Susan Ejore (Oregon) 2:04.77; 2, Julia Heymach (Stanford) 2:04.94 (PB, No. 4 Stanford AT); 15, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 2:10.69.
Mile – 1, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:33.71 (PB, No. 2 Stanford AT); 2, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 4:35.56 (PB, No. 3 Stanford AT); 10, Christina Aragon (Stanford) 4:46.30; 12, Jordan Oakes (Stanford) 4:47.98; 18, Abi Archer (Stanford) 4:55.36 (PB); 19, Kristin Fahy (Stanford) 4:55.64; 23, Rebecca Story (Stanford) 4:59.45; 32, Lily Flynn (Stanford) 5:03.80; 33, Kaitlin Ryan (Stanford) 5:06.72.
Triple jump – 1, Jasmine Moore (Georgia) 45-7 ¼ (13.90m); 9, Aria Small (Stanford) 41-8 (12.70m); Ellie Talius (Stanford), foul.
Shot put – 1, Meia Gordon (Oklahoma) 53-4 ¼ (16.26m); Jaimi Salone (Stanford), foul.