EUGENE, Ore. – In the third round of the women's javelin at the Oregon Relays on Friday night, Stanford senior Virginia Miller finally got her breakthrough throw.
For three years, Miller's lifetime best was stuck at 162-8 (49.59 meters), the distance she threw in her collegiate debut. She advanced to the NCAA Championships a year later and matched her best three weeks ago at the Stanford Invitational. Miller was ready for more and got it on her third attempt, taking the lead at 165-3, her first 50-meter throw (50.37).
But that wasn't the best of it. On her sixth and final attempt, Miller put even that throw behind her, with a huge toss of 171-9 (52.36) – a 6-foot improvement on her lifetime best. The throw not only gave a nearly 9-foot victory over Oregon runner-up Lauri Paredes (162-10, 49.64), but it moved her up one spot, to No. 6 on Stanford's all-time performer's list, passing Megan Glassman (164-8, 50.19 in 2014).
Miller, who was fourth in the Pac-12 in 2018, now jumps into the Pac-12 title conversation. Her throw passed that of UCLA's Ilario Casarotto (169-8, 51.72 at the Stanford Invitational) for the longest in the Pac-12 this season.
Miller, in her first competitive season under throws coach Jennifer Svoboda, was among five Stanford winners at Hayward Field on the first of the two-day meet. She was joined by J.T. Herrscher (men's pole vault), Gabriel Navarro (men's 200), Alexa Rossum (women's 200), and Erika Malaspina (women's pole vault).
Twenty-two Cardinal competed Friday and combined for seven lifetime bests. Besides Miller, Herrscher also made an impact in the Stanford top-10 list. Herrscher, a freshman in eligibility, cleared 17-1 ¾ (5.23m) to lead a 1-2 Stanford finish ahead of Max Manson (16-4, 4.98m).
Herrscher needed three tries at 16-10 (5.13m), but cleared 17-1 ¾ on his second attempt. That exceeded his previous best of 17-0 (5.18m) and moved him into Stanford's top-10 at No. 7, just behind U.S. national team decathlete Harrison Williams (17-2 ¾, 5.25m). Exiting from the top-10 is Jim Eshelman, who in 1967 set a school record of 16-11 ¼ (5.17m) that stood for 20 years.
In her first collegiate outdoor season, Rossum continues to make an impact with the Stanford sprint corps. Rossum earned her first collegiate victory, winning the 200 in 23.92. At the West Coast Classic in Tucson, Arizona, last week, Rossum ran the fastest 100 and 200 by a Cardinal in nine years.
Navarro gave Stanford a men's and women's victory sweep in the 200. His time of 21.14 was close to his best of 21.04 and is the No. 4 time by a Mexican national this year. Navarro, a native of El Paso, Texas, is seeking to make the Mexican Olympic team.
Malaspina captured the pole vault victory with a first-try clearance at 12-10 ¼ (3.92m), with Washington State's Emily Coombs clearing the same height on her second try to finish second.
Allie Jones didn't win, but the heptathlete earned two big lifetime bests. Jones was second in the long jump to 2016 Olympic long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta, but not by much, relatively speaking. Bartoletta, now a volunteer assistant at Cal, jumped 20-4 ¼ (6.20m) with Jones next at 19-6 ¾ (5.96m), a big improvement over her previous best of 18-7 ¼ (5.67m) from 2019.
Jones also was third in the 200 in 24.39, a big jump from her previous best of 24.91.
Stanford welcomed back two All-Americans who made their season track debuts. Jaimi Salone was third in their specialty, the women's discus, at 157-2 (47.91m). Salone also was fifth in the shot put (40-11 ¾ (12.49m). And Jessica Lawson ran the invitational 5,000 in 16:23.25, behind freshmen teammates Lucy Jenks (fourth, 16:07.66) and Grace Connolly (sixth, in a PB of 16:11.49).
* * *
Oregon Relays
At Hayward Field
Friday's results
Winners and Stanford
Men
200 – 1, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.14; 3, Andrew Franco (Stanford) 21.59.
1,500 – 6, Liam Conway (Stanford) 3:49.46 (PB).
Pole vault – 1, J.T. Herrscher (Stanford) 17-1 ¾ (5.23m) (PB, No. 7 Stanford AT); 2, Max Manson (Stanford) 16-4 (4.98m).
Long jump – 1, Zach Beltz (unat.) 24-0 ½ (7.32m); 3, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 23-6 ¼ (7.17m).
Discus – 1, John Kolb (Washington State) 184-3 (56.16m); 8, Max McKhann (Stanford) 148-10 (45.37m).
Hammer – 1, Mason Strunk (unat.) 201-8 (61.46m); 4, Max McKhann (Stanford) 191-7 (58.39m).
Javelin – 1, Zach Holland (unat.) 231-6 (70.57m); 3, Liam Christensen (Stanford) 207-3 (63.17m).
Women
200 – 1, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 23.92; 3, Allie Jones (Stanford) 24.39 (PB); 4, Kennedy Gamble (Stanford) 24.76.
1,500 invitational – 1, Addy Townsend (unat.) 4:15.78; 5, Christina Aragon (Stanford) 4:16.75.
5,000 invitational – 1, Carmela Cardama Baez (Oregon) 15:36.41; 4, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 16:07.66; 6, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 16:11.49 (PB); 8, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 16:23.25.
400 hurdles – 1, Stephanie Cho (Washington State) 59.73; 4, Samantha Thomas (Stanford) 1:02.13.
Pole vault – 1, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 12-10 ¼ (3.92m).
Long jump – 1, Tianna Bartoletta (Team TB) 20-4 ¼ (6.20m); 2, Allie Jones (Stanford) 19-6 ¾ (5.96m) (PB).
Shot put – 1, Jaida Ross (Oregon) 52-2 (15.90m); 5, Jaimi Salone (Stanford) 40-11 ¾ (12.49m).
Discus – 1, Kiana Phelps (Oregon) 178-11 (54.53m); 3, Jaimi Salone (Stanford) 157-2 (47.91m).
Javelin – 1, Virginia Miller (Stanford) 171-9 (52.36m) (PB; No. 6 Stanford AT); 3, Brielle Smith (Stanford) 151-11 (46.30m).
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
Stanford's Saturday schedule
10:45 a.m.: Women's high jump -- Allie Jones.
11 a.m.: Men's triple jump – Keyshawn King, Kevin Yang.
11 a.m.: Women's triple jump – Aria Small, Ellie Talius.
11:37 a.m.: Men's 110 hurdles -- Jack Herkert.
11:45 a.m.: Women's 400 -- Ashlan Best.
11:50 a.m.: Men's 400 -- Gabriel Navarro, Miles Zoltak.
11:57 a.m.: Women's 100 -- Kennedy Gamble, Alexa Rossum.
12:22 p.m.: Men's 800 -- Miles Smith.
2:30 p.m.: Women's invitational 800 – Ellie Deligianni, Kaitlin Ryan.
2:53 p.m.: Men's invitational 800 – Brandon McGorty.
