CHICAGO – Stanford freshmen Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker raced each other collegiately for the first time and the result was spectacular – Willis and Whittaker won the Windy City Invitational on Friday night with the second- and third-fastest indoor 800-meter times in collegiate history.
Willis set a Stanford absolute record of 1:59.95, with Whittaker just behind in 2:00.32, good for No. 3 on Stanford's absolute list. In between is Olivia Baker's 2018 outdoor school record of 2:00.08.
On the collegiate list, only reigning Olympic champion Athing Mu has run faster indoors, with a 1:58.40 for Texas A&M in 2021. Willis and Whittaker shattered Whittaker's four-week-old school indoor record of 2:02.48.
Stanford runners finished first through fourth, with Ellie Deligianni running 2:05.48 for No. 8 on Stanford's all-time indoor list. And Anna Tovkach, a graduate transfer from Army, was fourth in a season-best 2:07.17.
The last time Willis and Whittaker raced each other was in the World Under-20 Championships final in Cali, Colombia, on August 3, 2022. Willis won in a meet record 1:59.13 and Whittaker was third in 2:00.18.
Willis took the lead on after the first of four 200-meter laps at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park, leading Whittaker, 28.03 to 28.42. They came through 400 in 59.26 and 59.45. Whittaker took the lead going into the bell lap, but Willis closed with a final 200 of 29.95, with Whittaker closing in 30.54.
In the men's 5,000, three Stanford runners rewrote much of the Cardinal top-10 list. Charles Hicks became the 23rd-fastest collegian in indoor history by winning in a personal best 13:22.05, the No. 3 time in school indoor history.
Devin Hart took third in 13:33.49 and Evan Burke was sixth in a Canadian under-23 record of 13:38.46. Both were personal absolute bests, with Hart now No. 5 at Stanford indoors and Burke is No. 7.
Stanford runners earned two other victories. John Lester captured the men's 800 in 1:48.49, moving to No. 2 in Stanford indoor history. And Melissa Tanaka won the women's mile in a personal best and facility record 4:37.21 and is No. 10 at Stanford all-time indoors. Riley Stewart was fifth in a PB of 4:37.82, the second-fastest freshmen time by a Cardinal.
Udodi Onwuzurike was second in the men's 60 in 6.70 and Max McKhann was third in the 35-pound weight throw at 71-6 ¼ (21.80m) and Lianne Kistler was third in the women's pole vault in a season best 12-6 ¼ (3.82m).
John Lester wins the men's 800. Photo by David Hicks.
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Windy City Invitational
At Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park
(200-meter banked track)
Winners and all Stanford
Friday's results
Men
60 final – 1, Lawrence Johnson (Wisconsin) 6.54; 2, Udodi Onwuzurike (Stanford) 6.70. Prelims – 2, Udodi Onwuzurike (Stanford) 6.65; 14, Dorien Simon (Stanford) 6.90.
400 invite – 1, Noah Sage (Michigan State) 47.70; 6, Miles Zoltak (Stanford) 48.77; 8, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 49.74. Sec. 2: 1, Karson Lippert (Stanford) 48.08.
800 invite – 1, John Lester (Stanford) 1:48.49 (No. 2 Stanford AT).
5,000 invite – 1, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 13:22.05 (PB; No. 3 Stanford AT); 3, Devin Hart (Stanford) 13:33.49 (PB; No. 5 Stanford AT); 6, Evan Burke (Stanford) 13:38.46 (PB; No. 7 Stanford AT); 10, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (Stanford) 13:52.15; Cole Sprout (Stanford) DNF. Sec. 2 – 2, Caleb Boutelle (Stanford) 14:11.43 (PB); 13, Callum Sherry (Stanford) 14:51.02 (PB).
Long jump – 1, Nikaoli Williams (Oklahoma) 26-5 ½ (8.06m); 4, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 23-10 ¼ (7.27m); 7, John Kroeger (Stanford) 23-1 ¼ (7.04m); 14, Kevin Yang (Stanford) 21-5 ½ (6.54m).
Weight throw – 1, Sam Coil (Wisconsin) 72-3 ½ (22.03m); 3, Max McKhann (Stanford) 71-6 ¼ (21.80m); 8, Anthony Argyropoulos (Stanford) 60-11 ½ (18.58m).
Women
60 prelims – 18, Alaysia Oakes (Stanford) 7.60.
400 invite – 1, Ashonti Warner (Oklahoma) 53.39; 5, Maya Valmon (Stanford) 54.94. Sec. 2: 1, Samantha Thomas (Stanford) 55.18; 5, Cydney Wright (Stanford) 55.95.
800 invite – 1, Roisin Willis (Stanford) 1:59.95 (school record; school frosh record); 2, Juliette Whittaker (Stanford) 2:00.32 (No. 2 Stanford AT); 3, Ellie Deligianni (Stanford) 2:05.48 (No. 9 Stanford AT); 4, Anna Tovkach (Stanford) 2:07.17.
Mile invite – 1, Melissa Tanaka (Stanford) 4:37.21 (PB; No. 10 Stanford AT); 5, Riley Stewart (Stanford) 4:37.82 (PB; No. 2 Stanford frosh); 12, Julia Flynn (Stanford) 4:49.23; 13, Audrey DaDamio (Stanford) 4:52.91.
5,000 – 1, Amy Davis-Green (Hansons-Brooks) 15:39.11; 2, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 16:07.17 (PB).
60 hurdles prelims – 21, Elise Miller (Stanford) 8.87.
Pole vault – 1, Kenzi Kluge (Wisconsin) 12-6 ¼ (3.82m); 3, Lianne Kistler (Stanford) 12-6 ¼ (3.82m); 7, Kelly Kern (Stanford) 11-6 ½ (3.52m).
Long jump – 1, Jasmine Akins (Oklahoma) 20-8 (6.30m); 10, Alaysia Oakes (Stanford) 18-6 (5.64m); Elise Miller (Stanford) F.
Stanford's Saturday schedule (all times Pacific)
10:40 a.m.: Men's shot put -- Garin Gross, Sam Liokumovich.
10:40 a.m.: Women's pole vault invite – Laurel Wong.
10:40 a.m.: Women's triple jump -- Alaysia Oakes, Ellie Talius.
10:40 a.m.: Women's 200 heats -- Alyssa Jones, Alexa Rossum, Samantha Thomas, Cydney Wright.
11:05 a.m.: Men's 200 heats -- Olufemi Cole, John Kroeger, Karson Lippert, Gabriel Navarro, Udodi Onwuzurike, Dorien Simon.
11:30 a.m.: Women's 3,000 -- Sec.1: Riley Stewart; Sec. 2: Lily Flynn.
11:55 a.m.: Men's 3,000 -- Sec.1: Zane Bergen, Gavin Sherry, Nolan Topper; Sec.2: Liam Anderson.
Following women's triple jump: Men's triple jump -- Marcus Floyd, Allan Hunter, Kevin Yang.
12:20 p.m.: Women's mile -- Sec.2: Lily Flynn, Imogen Gardiner.
12:30 p.m.: Women's shot put -- Brandy Atuatasi, Kaiah Fisher.
12:30 p.m.: Men's pole vault invite -- Garrett Brown, J.T. Herrscher, Max Manson.
12:30 p.m.: Men's high jump – James Stevens.
12:30 p.m.: Women's high jump – Alyssa Jones.
12:35 p.m.: Men's mile -- Sec.1: Caleb Boutelle, Thomas Boyden, Charles Hicks, John Lester, Cole Sprout; Sec.2: Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau, Evan Burke, Devin Hart, Callum Sherry.
1:05 p.m.: Women's 800 -- Sec.1: Melissa Tanaka; Sec.2: Morgan Foster, Taylor James.
1:30 p.m.: Women's 3,000 invite -- Audrey DaDamio, Zofia Dudek, Lucy Jenks, Ava Parekh, Audrey Suarez.
1:45 p.m.: Men's 3,000 invite -- Robert DiDonato.
2:05 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay -- Stanford: Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis, Alexa Rossum, Juliette Whittaker.
2:20 p.m.: Men's 4x400 relay -- Miles Zoltak, Karson Lippert, Gabriel Navarro, Olufemi Cole.