EUGENE, Ore. – Four Stanford alums qualified for the American team that will compete at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships and Cardinal rising sophomore Udodi Onwuzurike will be there too.
On Friday, Onwuzurike anchored the Nigerian 4x100-meter relay team to a time of 38.34 in Benin City, Nigeria, to clinch a spot at the Worlds in Eugene on July 15-24. Onwuzurike also is a candidate for the Nigerian team in the 100 and 200, having already achieved the World entry standards in both events.
At the four-day U.S. Championships that concluded Sunday at Hayward Field, three Stanford alums won titles. Reigning Olympic women's discus champion Valarie Allman '17 captured her fourth consecutive U.S. championship. Her Stanford roommate, Elise Cranny '18, repeated as the women's 5,000 champ, and Grant Fisher '19 earned his first U.S. title, in the men's 5,000.
Sean McGorty '17 won a spot by placing third, behind Fisher's second, in the 10,000, which was run May 27. That means six Stanford athletes have clinched berths at Worlds, including Greek women's pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi '12, the 2016 Olympic and 2017 World champion.
Udodi Onwuzurike at the Stanford Invitational. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
At the U.S. Under-20 Championships, also at Hayward Field, incoming Stanford freshman Juliette Whittaker shattered the national high school record in the women's 800, running 1:59.04 to break Mary Cain's mark of 1:59.51 from 2013.
Whittaker and Roisin Willis, another future Cardinal, took first and second in the 800 to earn berths on the U.S. team for the World U20 Championships. Also making the team for Cali, Colombia, on August 1-6, was Stanford rising sophomore Garrett Brown, who placed second in the men's pole vault.
Five members of the 2022 Stanford team competed at the U.S. Championships, four recent graduates and rising junior Cole Sprout, who was 12th in the 5,000 in 13:26.61.
Keyshawn King, an Olympic Trials finalist last year, earned his highest national finish, placing 10th in the triple jump at 52-7 ½ (16.04m).
Virginia Miller. Photo by Chuck Aragon.
Virginia Miller was 15th in the women's javelin at 159-1 (48.50m), and Julia Heymach and Christina Aragon were 12th and 19th, respectively, in the women's 1,500, though neither was able to advance out of the first round.
Onwuzurike was raised in Michigan and broke longstanding Stanford records in the 100 and 200, and finished third at the NCAA Championships in the 200. His Nigerian relay team included University of Tennessee's Favour Ashe to lead off, followed by Godson Brume, and Middle Tennessee's Alaba Akintola.
Whittaker and Willis came through the first 400 in 59.04 and 59.11, with Whittaker closing in 1:00.00 and Willis in 1:01.21. Whittaker is now the No. 3 performer on the U.S. U20 list and has the No. 8 performance. Six of the times in front of her are by Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu, and the other was by Ajee Wilson, a two-time World Championships bronze medalist.
Juliette Whittaker at the PR Invitational. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
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U.S. Championships
Stanford and alumni results
(June 23-26)
At Hayward Field
Men
5,000 – Final: 1, Grant Fisher (Nike/Bowerman TC) 13:03.86; 6, Sean McGorty (Nike/Bowerman TC) 13:14.97; 7, Thomas Ratcliffe (Nike/Bowerman TC) 13:17.48 (PB); 12, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 13:26.61.
Triple jump – Final: 10, Keyshawn King (Stanford) 52-7 ½ (16.04m).
Women
800 – Final: 5, Olivia Baker (Atlanta TC) 1:58.63. Semifinals: 3, Olivia Baker (Atlanta TC) 1:58.46 (PB). First round: 6, Olivia Baker (Atlanta TC) 2:01.34.
1,500 – First round: 12, Julia Heymach (Brooks Beasts) 4:11.68; 19, Christina Aragon (Stanford) 4:16.57; 21, Rebecca Mehra (Oiselle/Littlewing Athletics) 4:17.85; 22, Maddy Berkson (Tracksmith/Rhode Island TC) 4:19.10.
5,000 – Final: 1, Elise Cranny (Nike/Bowerman TC) 15:49.15; 6, Fiona O'Keeffe (Puma) 15:58.86; 11, Ella Donaghu (Nike Union AC) 16:05.67; 21, Vanessa Fraser (Nike/Bowerman TC) 16:17.18.
Discus – Final: 1, Valarie Allman (ASICS/NYAC) 219-7 (66.92m).
Javelin – 15, Virginia Miller (Stanford) 159-1 (48.50m).
World qualifiers:
Valarie Allman '17 (women's discus), Elise Cranny '18 (women's 5,000), Grant Fisher '19 (men's 5,000, 10,000), Sean McGorty '17 (10,000).
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U.S. Under-20 Championships
Stanford results
(June 23-25)
At Hayward Field
Men
Pole vault – Final: 2, Garrett Brown (Stanford) 16-10 ¾ (5.15m).
Women
800 – Final: 1, Juliette Whittaker (unat.) 1:59.04 (meet record); 2, Roisin Willis (Stevens Point Area RC) 2:00.32.
Triple jump – Final: 5, Elise Miller (Stanford) 40-4 (12.29m).
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Story link
Australian javelin thrower and Stanford alum Mackenzie Little