CLOVIS, Calif. – Stanford brought three distance runners to the West Coast Relays and Ella Donaghu set a personal best in the invitational 5,000, placing second at Veteran's Memorial Stadium late Friday night.
Donaghu ran 15:29.42, improving upon her season and lifetime best of 15:36.52. The time vaults Donaghu into Stanford all-time top-10 performers' list and places her at No. 8, just ahead of her Portland, Oregon, neighbor Arianna Lambie, who ran 15:31.34 in 2007. Kathy Kroeger, who ran 15:33.76 in 2012, drops off the list.
DJ Principe and Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau attempted to improve upon their season bests and better position themselves in the NCAA qualifying picture, though both unable to do so. Principe ran 13:55.78, six seconds off his 5,000 best of 13:49.26 from the Stanford Invitational. Beaudoin-Rousseau ran the 10,000 in 29:43.40. He ran 29:11.08 at the Stanford Invitational.
Donaghu was part of a lead pack of 10 midway through the race before North Carolina State's Elle Henes surged to the lead and no one was able to match her move. Donaghu and New Mexico's Charlotte Prouse worked together the rest of the way before Donaghu edged Prouse in a kick.
The full Stanford team competes Saturday in the 126th Big Meet, at Edwards Stadium in Berkeley.
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West Coast Relays
At Veteran's Memorial Stadium, Clovis
Winner and Stanford
Men
5,000 invitational – 1, Luis Grijalva (Northern Arizona) 13:29.02; 16, DJ Principe (Stanford) 13:55.78.
10,000 – 1, Abdihamid Nur (Northern Arizona) 27:47.27; 9, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (Stanford) 29:43.40.
Women
5,000 invitational – 1, Elly Henes (North Carolina State) 15:18.75; 2, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 15:29.42 (PB; No. 8 Stanford AT).
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
