FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It's been a while since Stanford has been known for its male sprinters, probably since the days of Olympian Larry Questad in the mid-1960s. But freshman Udodi Onwuzurike is creating a new era at Stanford.
At the NCAA West Prelims on Friday, Onwuzurike broke the University of Arkansas facility record in the 200, and Stanford records in the 100 and 200 – all records that he already owned – and advanced to the NCAA Championships among the top two in both events.
Onwuzurike's 20.08 in the 200 was the fastest of the meet. It edged his 20.09 from the Pac-12 Championships and his 20.13 from the first round on Wednesday. Earlier, he ran 10.03 in the 100, the second-fastest of the night, eclipsing his 10.07 from the Stanford Invitational on April 1.
But Onwuzurike didn't corner the market for spectacular for the Cardinal. There certainly was some magic Keyshawn King.
The senior triple jumper leaped 55-0 ¼ (16.77m) to qualify third and to destroy not only his outdoor school record (52-8, 16.05m), but the Stanford absolute record (52-9 ¼, 16.08m) by Darian Brooks indoors in 2016.
King hit that distance on his first attempt, all but assuring himself of his first NCAA Championships berth, though he was an Olympic Trials finalist last year.
On Friday, four Stanford men in five events earned spots in Eugene for the NCAA's, to be held June 8-11. Overall, six different Cardinal will advance, in eight events. The women conclude the meet on Saturday.
Stanford sent five runners to the starting line in the 5,000 and two advanced, with another missing by one place. Cole Sprout took fourth in the faster second section, running 13:29.99. The top five in each of the two sections earned automatic qualifying spots, and Ky Robinson took the fifth spot in the slower first second, in 13:39.02.
Though Thomas Boyden ran faster than Robinson, clocking 13:38.78, he missed out on qualifying because he was eighth in the second section, meaning five automatic qualifiers and both time qualifiers came out of his section. Twelve advanced to Eugene out of the two sections and Boyden placed 10th overall, but still missed out. He also was missed qualifying by one place in the 10,000 on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Charles Hicks and Sprout advanced in the 10,000 and Max Manson qualified in the pole vault.
Keyshawn King's record jump. Photo by Chuck Aragon.
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Stanford's Friday Results
NCAA West Prelims
At John McDonnell Field
Men
100 quarterfinals – 1, Micah Williams (Oregon) 9.86; 2, Udodi Onwuzurike (Stanford) 10.03 (PB; school record; No. 9 Pac-12 AT) (Onwuzurike qualifies for NCAA's).
200 quarterfinals – 1, Udodi Onwuzurike (Stanford) 20.08 (PB; school record; facility record; No. 8 Pac-12 AT). (Onwuzurike qualifies for NCAA's).
800 quarterfinals – 1, Moad Zahafi (Texas Tech) 1:44.65; 22, John Lester (Stanford) 1:49.75.
5,000 semifinals – 1, Brian Fay (Washington) 13:28.41; 4, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 13:29.99; 10, Thomas Boyden (Stanford) 13:38.78; 12, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 13:39.02; 19, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 13:44.77; 44, Evan Burke (Stanford) 14:56.03. (Sprout and Robinson qualify for NCAA's).
4x100 relay quarterfinals – 1, Houston 38.71; 19, Stanford (Dorien Simon, Olufemi Cole, Karson Lippert, Udodi Onwuzurike) 40.15.
Triple jump – 1, Chengetayi Mapaya (TCU) 56-0 (17.07m); 3, Keyshawn King (Stanford) 55-0 ¼ (16.77m) (PB; school record); 22, Kevin Yang (Stanford) 50-6 (15.39m) (PB). (King qualifies for NCAA's).
Discus – 1, Mykolas Alekna (Cal) 212-10 (64.87m); 40, Chudi Ikpeazu (Stanford) 164-2 (50.05m).
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
Two individual races for Udodi Onwuzurike, two school records. Photo by David Hicks.
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Stanford's Saturday schedule
3 p.m.: Women's 4x100 relay quarterfinals – Stanford.
3:15 p.m.: Women's 1,500 quarterfinals – Christina Aragon, Julia Heymach, Melissa Tanaka.
4:35 p.m.: Women's 100 quarterfinals – Kennedy Gamble.
4:50 p.m.: Women's 400 quarterfinals – Maya Valmon.
5:05 p.m.: Women's 800 quarterfinals – Ellie Deligianni.
5:50 p.m.: Women's 200 quarterfinals – Kennedy Gamble.
6:10 p.m.: Women's 5,000 semifinals – Lucy Jenks, Audrey Suarez.