LOS ANGELES – Stanford's Charles Hicks used a final-lap kick to win the 10,000 meters on the opening day of the Pac-12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday at USC's Loker Stadium.
Hicks, a redshirt freshman, ran 28:39.46. Only Arizona's Lawi Lalang, who ran 28:14.63 in 2013, has a faster winning time at this meet in the past 38 years.
For several of the late laps, Hicks ran third in a three-man lead pack, with Washington's Tibebu Proctor and Colorado's John Dressel leading the pace. But with 800 to go, Dressel moved into the front and Hicks moved with him.
As they reached the gun lap, Dressel held a slight lead, but Hicks soon blasted into the lead, uncorking a 55.74 for the final 400 to win going away over Dressel, who closed in 58.23. They were the fastest final laps of anyone in the field.
In fifth place was teammate Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau, who ran 28:49.63 to break his personal best by 21 seconds and pull himself from the fringe and firmly into the picture for an NCAA West Regional berth.
Hicks became Stanford's 10th Pac-12 winner in the 10,000 and second in the past three seasons, after Jack Keelan pulled off the feat in 2018.
The Stanford men, with 14 points, are in a three-way tie for second with Arizona and USC after the first of three days of competition. Washington leads with 39.
Allie Jones. Photo by John McGillen for Pac-12.
The Stanford women are seventh with 6 points. The Cardinal points came from Virginia Miller (166-10, 50.87m) and Brielle Smith (157-3, 47.95m) in the javelin, placing fifth and eighth, and from Grace Connolly, who was eighth in the 10,000 (34:15.92).
In the heptathlon, Allie Jones set three lifetime bests and tied another as she ended the first day of the heptathlon in second. Jones' point total of 3,504 is her first-day best by 232 points.
Jones set the tone with a sizzling 13.40 in the 100 hurdles, a winning time that moved her up a spot on Stanford's all-time list, passing Lindsey Johnson (13.48 in 2003). Jones is now No. 3, behind only Kori Carter (12.76 in 2013) and Katie Nelms (13.00 in 2012).
Jones led the competition through the high jump (5-6 ½, 1.69m), but fell into second behind Washington's Ida Eikeng despite Jones tying her PB in the shot put (38-10 ¼, 1.84m). Jones closed with a 24.36 in the 200, another PB and the second-fastest of the competition. Eikeng leads with 3,571.
Stanford advanced four runners to Sunday's final in the women's 1,500. In the first of two heats, Ella Donaghu (4:18.96), Christina Aragon (4:19.19), and Lucy Jenks (4:19.23) finished in a 1-2-3 sweep in race in which the top six finished within 0.66 of each other. The time was a two-second PB for the freshman Jenks.
In the second heat, Jessica Lawson (4:21.47) placed third to also advance on place to the 12-runner final field.
From left: Ella Donaghu, Lucy Jenks, and Christina Aragon celebrate their 1-2-3 heat finish in the 1,500. Photo by Kirby Lee for Pac-12.
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Pac-12 Championships
Friday results (Day 1 of 3)
Winners and Stanford
Men
Team scores (3 of 21 events scored) – 1, Washington 39; 2 (tie), Stanford, Arizona, and USC, 14 each; 5, Arizona State 10; 6, Colorado 9; 7, Oregon 7; 8, Washington State 6; 9, California 3; 10, UCLA 1.
200 prelims – 10, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.27; 19, Andrew Franco (Stanford) 21.68.
1,500 prelims -- 14, Callum Bolger (Stanford) 3:44.28 (PB).
10,000 – 1, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 28:39.46; 5, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (Stanford) 28:49.63 (PB).
400 hurdles prelims – 15, Bobby Wood (Stanford) 54.18.
Hammer – 1, Nathan Bultman (USC) 239-10 (73.12m); 12, Max McKhann (Stanford) 194-0 (59.14m); 16, Mason McKhann (Stanford) 169-9 (51.74m).
Women
Team scores (3 of 21 events scored) – 1 (tie), Arizona State and Oregon, 18 each; 3, California 17; 4 (tie), Colorado and Washington, 15 each; 6, UCLA 14; 7, Oregon State 7; 8, Stanford 6; 9 (tie), Arizona and USC, 3 each; 11, Washington State 1; 12, Utah 0.
200 prelims – 9, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 23.51w.
1,500 prelims – 1, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 4:18.96q; 3, Christina Aragon (Stanford) 4:19.19q: 5, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 4:19.23q (PB); 6, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 4:21.47q; 15, Lily Flynn (Stanford) 4:29.10; Tori Starcher (Stanford) DNF.
10,000 – 1, Carmela Cardama Baez (Oregon) 32:38.73; 8, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 34:15.92 (PB).
400 hurdles prelims – 13, Samantha Thomas (Stanford) 1:01.30.
Hammer – 1, Camryn Rogers (Cal) 236-11 (72.22m); 15, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 162-10 (49.64m).
Javelin – 1, Alizee Minard (Arizona State) 181-5 (55.31m); 5, Virginia Miller (Stanford) 166-10 (50.87m); 8, Brielle Smith (Stanford) 157-3 (47.95m).
Heptathlon (first day) – 2, Allie Jones (Stanford) 3,504.
Allie Jones (event, place in event, mark, points, place in competition):
First day: 100 hurdles – 1, 13.40 (PB; No. 3 Stanford AT), 1,065 (1); High jump – 3, 5-6 ½ (1.69) (PB), 842 (1); Shot put – 5, 38-10 ¼ (11.84m) (PB), 651 (2); 200 – 2, 24.36 (PB), 946 (2). First-day total: 3,504.
Stanford's Saturday Schedule
2:30 p.m.: Women's heptathlon long jump – Allie Jones.
3:30 p.m.: Women's heptathlon javelin – Allie Jones.
3:30 p.m.: Women's long jump – Yinka Braimah, Aria Small.
4 p.m.: Men's 110 hurdles prelims – Jack Herkert.
4:30 p.m.: Men's high jump – James Stevens.
4:30 p.m.: Men's 800 prelims – Liam Conway, Miles Smith.
4:45 p.m.: Women's 800 prelims – Ellie Deligianni, Ella Donaghu, Morgan Foster, Julia Heymach, Lily Flynn, Kaitlin Ryan, Sarah Walker.
5:15 p.m.: Women's heptathlon 800 – Allie Jones.
5:25 p.m.: Men's 400 prelims – Gabriel Navarro, Miles Zoltak.
5:40 p.m.: Women's 400 prelims – Ashlan Best.
6 p.m.: Men's long jump – Allan Hunter.
6:15 p.m.: Women's pole vault – Erika Malaspina, Laurel Wong.
6:15 p.m.: Women's 100 prelims – Kennedy Gamble, Alexa Rossum.
6:30 p.m.: Women's shot put – Jordan Fong, Jaimi Salone.
6:30 p.m.: Men's 3,000 steeplechase – DJ Principe, Ky Robinson.