EUGENE, Ore. – Five Stanford athletes and 11 alumni compete at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which begin Thursday at Hayward Field.
The top three in each event can qualify for the World Championships July 15-24, also at Hayward Field as long as they meet the World entry standards.
Four Stanford alums already have clinched World berths. They are Valarie Allman '17 in the women's discus, Katerina Stefanidi '12 in the women's pole vault, and Grant Fisher '19 and Sean McGorty '17 in the men's 10,000. A current Cardinal, rising sophomore sprinter Udodi Onwuzurike, who competes internationally for Nigeria, has met World standards in the men's 100 and 200 and may compete at Worlds in both as well as the 4x100 relay.
The five 2022 Cardinal competing this week are Christina Aragon and Julia Heymach in the women's 1,500, Virginia Miller in the women's javelin, Keyshawn King in the men's triple jump, and Cole Sprout in the men's 5,000. Sprout is the only non-graduate of that group, having just finished his sophomore year.
Allman, the reigning Olympic champion and American record holder, has won the past three U.S. championships. She shoots for a fourth though she has secured her spot at Worlds as the 2021 Diamond League champion in that event. She also is No. 1 in the world rankings, which also would have earned her a spot at Worlds.
Valarie Allman. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
Fisher and McGorty placed second and third at the U.S. 10,000 championship race at Hayward Field, on May 27, and have the World standard. In fact, Fisher set the American record of 26:33.84 on March 6. They are competing in the 5,000 this week, though they already have earned their spots in the 10,000.
Stefanidi of Greece has jumped 15-9 (4.80m) in the qualifying window, while placing fourth at the Olympics, to exceed the World standard of 15-5 (4.70m).
Among other international Stanford alums, Australia's Steven Solomon '16 seems the strongest possibility for Worlds. His 44.94 in the Tokyo Olympics semifinals, during the 2022 Worlds qualifying window, is close to the World standard of 44.90.
A couple of other summer competition notes, heptathlete Allie Jones '22 will represent the U.S. at the Thorpe Cup, a dual meet between the U.S. and Germany for the multi events on July 27-28 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
In conjunction with the U.S. nationals is the U.S. Under-20 Championships on Friday and Saturday at Hayward Field. At stake are berths for the U.S. team at the World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, on August 1-6.
Stanford rising sophomores Garrett Brown (men's pole vault) and Elise Miller (women's triple jump) are competing for those spots, as well as incoming freshmen Juliette Whittaker and Roisin Willis in the women's 800. Onwuzurike, the reigning world U20 200 champion, will not compete at the World U20s this year.
A couple of notes about Whittaker and Willis, they went 1-2 in the U.S. high school rankings this year, with Whittaker running 1:59.80 and Willis 2:00.06. They rank Nos. 4 and 5 on the all-time U.S. U20 performers' list.
At the prestigious high school Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle on June 15, Whittaker won the mile in 4:36.24 with future Card teammates Julia Flynn (4:37.74) and Riley Stewart (4:38.21) in third and fourth, and Ava Parekh 10th. Willis was second in the 400 in a PB 53.23.
Another future Card, Zane Bergen, was second in the mile in 4:00.48 and came through the 1,500 in 3:44.34.
Juliette Whittaker and Julia Flynn were first and third in the mile at the Brooks PR Invitational. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
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Stanford's U.S. Championships qualifiers
(Event, World Championships standard, Stanford class, 2022 best)
Men
5,000 (13:13.50) -- Grant Fisher '19 (12:53.73i*), Sean McGorty '17 (13:09.21i*), Thomas Ratcliffe '20 (--), Cole Sprout '24 (13:24.38i).
Triple jump (56-2 3/4, 17.14m) -- Keyshawn King '22 (55-0 ¼, 16.77m).
Women
800 (1:59.50) -- Olivia Baker '18 (1:59.80).
1,500 (4:04.20) -- Christina Aragon '20 (4:10.00), Maddy Berkson '18 (4:10.65), Elise Cranny '18 (4:08.07), Julia Heymach '21 (4:10.58), Rebecca Mehra '16 (4:08.59).
5,000 (15:10.00) -- Elise Cranny '18 (14:33.17i*), Ella Donaghu '20 (15:24.66), Vanessa Fraser '17 (15:05.04*), Fiona O'Keeffe '20 (15:05.56*).
Discus (208-4, 63.50m) -- Valarie Allman '17 (234-5, 71.46m*).
Javelin (209-11, 64.00m) -- Virginia Miller '21 (181-3, 55.26m).
*Achieved World Championships standard.
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Stanford Schedule
Thursday (June 23)
6:53 p.m.: Women's 1,500 first round -- Christina Aragon, Maddy Berkson, Elise Cranny, Julia Heymach, Rebecca Mehra.
Friday (June 24)
TV: CNBC, 7-9 p.m.
6:45 p.m.: Women's discus final – Valarie Allman.
8:02 p.m.: Women's 800 semifinal – Olivia Baker.
Saturday (June 25)
TV: NBC, 1-3 p.m.
11:30 a.m.: Women's javelin final.
1:40 p.m.: Women's 1,500 final.
Sunday (June 26)
TV: NBC, 1-2 p.m.; USA, 2-3 p.m.
12:15 p.m.: Men's triple jump final – Keyshawn King.
1:18 p.m.: Women's 5,000 final -- Elise Cranny, Ella Donaghu, Vanessa Fraser, Fiona O'Keeffe.
1:54 p.m.: Women's 800 final.
2:03 p.m.: Men's 5,000 final -- Grant Fisher, Sean McGorty, Thomas Ratcliffe, Cole Sprout.
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USATF Under-20 Championships
Men
Pole vault -- Garrett Brown '25.
Women
800 -- Juliette Whittaker '26, Roisin Willis '26.
Triple jump -- Elise Miller '25.
Stanford Schedule
Friday (June 24)
2:30 p.m.: Men's pole vault final – Garrett Brown.
Saturday (June 25)
4:01 p.m.: Women's 800 final -- Juliette Whittaker, Roisin Willis.
4:55 p.m.: Women's triple jump final – Elise Miller.