SEATTLE – The Stanford women's distance medley relay team may have secured a berth in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with its performance at the Pac-12 Invitational on Friday.
The team of Lucy Jenks, Samantha Thomas, Ellie Deligianni, and Julia Heymach placed third in a close race on the 307-meter track at University of Washington's Dempsey Indoor, running 10:57.74. The top three, including Oregon and Colorado, finished with 0.5 seconds of each other.
Going into the weekend, only one team (Arkansas) had run faster this season. The top 12 relay teams in the nation through this weekend earn berths at NCAA's March 11-12. The 16 in individual events, except for 12 in multi-events, also advance.
Pac-12 schools no longer compete in a conference indoor championship meet. Stanford and others competed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation meet from 1993-2020. There is no team scoring or individual champions crowned at this meet, but it does give athletes additional chances to advance.
Jenks opened with a 3:25.6 for 1,200, followed by Thomas with a 55.4 for 400. Ellie Deligianni was next with a 2:05.67 split for 800, and Heymach anchored with a 4:31.2 over 1,600.
Lucy Jenks hands the baton to Samantha Thomas in the DMR. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
Max Manson earned a victory for the Cardinal in the men's pole vault, equaling his week-old best of 17-7 ¾ (5.38m). He opened at 16-4 (4.98m) and was perfect at two heights before needing three to clear 17-3 ¾ (5.28m). That would have won the competition, but Manson went on to clear 5.38 while Arizona State's Michael Chadwick passed twice to have a chance to win at 17-11 ¾ (5.48). But neither Manson or Chadwick was able to do so, and Manson came away with the victory.
Allie Jones came within eight points of school record in the women's pentathlon, clearing 4,000 for the first time while placing a narrow second to Arizona's Skylar Sieben, 4,072 to Jones' 4,055.
Jones, who entered with a best of 3,996, got off a great start with a lifetime best of 8.32 in the 60 hurdles. Only world champion Kori Carter (8.17, 2013) and Katie Nelms (8.27, 2013) have run faster for Stanford.
Jones stayed consistently strong throughout, never dropping lower than third. She finished with a 2:21.88 in the 800, for 798 points, threatening Whitney Liehr's 2009 school record of 4,063. However, Jones was unable to crack the national top-12 and is out of contention for the NCAA's.
Of the four Stanford sprinters in the women's 60 prelims, three ran personal bests, and three entered or improved marks on the school's indoor top-10 list. Kennedy Gamble (7.38) and Olivia Okoli (7.41m) led the way and advanced to Saturday's final. In the new top-10, Gamble is No. 5, Okoli, a graduate transfer from Harvard, is No. 7, and Alexa Rossum (7.47) is No. 9.
Jordan Fong provided another highlight by setting a personal best in the women's 20-pound weight throw of 57-5 ½ (17.51m) for No. 5 all-time at Stanford. She placed seventh.
Evan Burke ran to a nine-second best in the men's 5,000, taking third in 13:46.37.
Pole vault winner Max Manson. Photo by Chuck Aragon.
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Friday's results
Pac-12 Invitational
Winners and all Stanford competitors
At Dempsey Indoor
(307-meter flat track)
Men
60 prelims – 6, Udodi Onwuzurike (Stanford) 6.74; 10, Dorien Simon (Stanford) 6.81.
200 – 1, Kasaun James (USC) 20.65; 8, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.90; 10, Andrew Franco (Stanford) 21.94; 15, Dorien Simon (Stanford) 22.32.
5,000 – 1, Andrew Kent (Colorado) 13:43.08; 3, Evan Burke (Stanford) 13:46.37 (PB); 8, Robert DiDonato (Stanford) 14:11.78 (PB); 9, Nolan Topper (Stanford) 14:19.18.
Pole vault – 1, Max Manson (Stanford) 17-7 ¾ (5.38m) (PB; No. 4 Stanford AT); 4, Garrett Brown (Stanford) 16-4 (4.98m).
Long jump – 1, Pierce Lacoste (Oregon) 24-11 ¾ (7.61m); 9, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 22-7 ¼ (6.89m); 11, John Kroeger (Stanford) 21-10 1/4 (6.66m).
Weight throw – 1, Jayden White (Washington) 74-1 (22.58m); 4, Max McKhann (Stanford) 61-10 ¼ (21.29m); 11, Anthony Argyropoulos (Stanford) 59-6 ¾ (18.15m); 13, James Wright (Stanford) 53-0 ¼ (16.16m) (PB; No. 2 Stanford frosh).
Women
60 prelims – 4, Kennedy Gamble (Stanford) 7.38 (PB; No. 5 Stanford AT); 7, Olivia Okoli (Stanford) 7.41 (PB; No. 7 Stanford AT); 13, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 7.47 (No. 9 Stanford AT); 22, Megan Olomu (Stanford) 7.68 (PB).
200 – 1, Adriana Tatum (Arizona State) 23.89; 5, Kennedy Gamble (Stanford) 24.41; 14, Olivia Okoli (Stanford) 25.12; 19, Megan Olomu (Stanford) 25.60; 25, Camille Peisner (Stanford) 26.38.
Distance medley relay – 1, Oregon 10:57.28; 3, Stanford (Lucy Jenks, Samantha Thomas, Ellie Deligianni, Julia Heymach) 10:57.74 (No. 6 Stanford AT).
Pole vault – 1, Katie Daily (Arizona) 13-8 ¼ (4.17); 13, Laurel Wong (Stanford) 12-2 ½ (3.72m); Lianne Kistler (Stanford) NH.
Long jump – 1, Avery McMullen (Colorado) 19-9 ½ (6.03m); 4, Tess Stapleton (Stanford) 18-9 ¼ (5.72m); 8, Teagan Zwaanstra (Stanford) 18-2 ½ (5.55m); 10, Elise Miller (Stanford) 17-11 ¾ (5.48m).
Weight throw – 1, Camryn Rogers (Cal) 74-7 (22.73m); 7, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 57-5 ½ (17.51m) (PB; No. 5 Stanford AT).
Pentathlon – 1, Skylar Sieben (Arizona) 4,072; 2, Allie Jones (Stanford) 4,055 (PB; No. 2 Stanford AT).
Allie Jones (event, place in event, mark, points, place in competition):
60 hurdles – 2, 8.32, 1,057 (2) (PB, No. 3 Stanford AT); High jump – 3, 5-5 ¼ (1.66m), 806 (2); Shot put – 5, (11.60m) 38-0 ¾ (11.60), 635 (3); Long jump – 2, 18-8 ½ (5.70m), 759 (3); 800 – 5, 2:21.88, 798 (2). Total – 4,055.
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Stanford's Saturday schedule
10 a.m.: Women's high jump – Valerie Przekop.
10 a.m.: Women's shot put -- Jordan Fong.
11:10 a.m.: Women's mile -- Sec.2: Audrey Suarez. Sec.3: Christina Aragon.
11:30 a.m.: Men's mile -- Sec.1: Liam Conway, Nick Feffer.
11:45 a.m.: Women's 400 – Sec.4: Samantha Thomas. Sec.5: Camille Peisner.
12:05 p.m.: 400 – Sec.2: Miles Zoltak. Sec.5: Gabriel Navarro. Sec.7: Andrew Franco.
Noon: Women's triple jump – Elise Miller, Allyson Weiss.
Noon: Men's triple jump -- Keyshawn King, Kevin Yang.
12:35 p.m.: Women's 60 final – Kennedy Gamble, Olivia Okoli.
12:40 p.m.: Men's 60 final – Udodi Onwuzurike.
12:45 p.m.: Women's 800 – Sec.1: Hannah Wilson. Sec.3: Ellie Deligianni.
1 p.m.: Men's high jump – James Stevens.
1 p.m.: Men's shot put -- Shot put – Fl.1: Garin Gross. Fl.2: Sam Liokumovich.
1 p.m.: Men's 800 -- Sec.3: Nick Feffer, John Lester.
1:15 p.m.: Women's 3,000 – Sec.2: Grace Connolly, Rebecca Story, Audrey Suarez. Sec.3: Julia Heymach, Lucy Jenks.
1:50 p.m.: Men's 3,000 – Sec.1: Robert DiDonato, Galen Topper, Nolan Topper. Sec.2: Evan Burke, Charles Hicks, Ky Robinson, Cole Sprout.
2:20 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay – Sec.2: Stanford.
2:40 p.m.: Men's 4x400 relay – Sec.1: Stanford.