CHICAGO – The Stanford women's 4x400-meter relay team won the Windy City Invitational indoor track and field meet on Saturday in 3:32.59, setting school and facility records.
Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis, Alexa Rossum, and Juliette Whittaker accomplished the feat on the 200-meter banked track at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park. They broke the mark of 3:33.78 by Gaby Gayles, Olivia Baker, Michaela Crunkleton Wilson, and Kristyn Williams at the Don Kirby Elite meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Feb. 13, 2016.
It was the second school record in two days for Willis. The freshman ran the second-fastest indoor 800 in collegiate history on Friday night on the same track, clocking 1:59.95 – becoming the first Stanford woman under two minutes – to edge Whittaker in 2:00.32.
Valmon opened the relay in 53.82, followed by Willis with a 52.89 split. Rossum clocked 52.87 and Whittaker anchored in 53.03.
The 4x400 relays closed the two-day meet. It was Stanford's first appearance at the facility, which opened in 2021. Stanford individuals totaled nine personal bests on Sunday alone.
Among them was Garrett Brown. The sophomore cleared a big personal best of 17-11 ¾ (5.48m) to place third in the men's pole vault. He takes sole possession of the No. 3 spot on Stanford's all-time indoor list and is No. 5 on the school absolute list.
Brown cleared his first four heights without a miss, before going to a second attempt at 17-7 ¾ (5.38) and a third attempt at 17-11 ¾. Brown took three shots at 18-1 ¾, but to no avail.
Melissa Tanaka placed second in the non-invite section of the women's 800 with a PB of 2:05.61.
In the women's 3,000 invite, Zofia Dudek was third in a PB of 9:08.26 and Lucy Jenks was fourth in 9:08.36.
No Stanford athletes worked themselves into the national top 16 on Sunday and into qualifying position for the NCAA Indoor Championships March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. However, three did on Saturday – Willis and Whittaker took over the Nos. 1 and 3 spots in NCAA Division I in the women's 800 and Charles Hicks moved to No. 11 in the men's 3,000 at 13:22.05.
With three weekends of indoor qualifying left, here are the Stanford athletes that were in NCAA qualifying position through Saturday:
Hicks (5,000, 11th), Max McKhann (Weight throw, 15th), Udodi Onwuzurike (200, 12th), Cole Sprout (Mile, 14th; 3,000, 11th), and Ky Robinson (Mile, 10th; 3,000, 16th; 5,000, 2nd) for the men.
Dudek (5,000, 15th), Willis (800, 1st), Whittaker (800, 3rd), Alyssa Jones (Long jump, 11th), and the distance medley relay team (3rd) of Whittaker, Maya Valmon, Willis, and Tanaka for the women.
Relay record-breakers: Roisin Willis, Maya Valmon, Alexa Rossum, Juliette Whittaker. 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
Saturday's results
Men
200 prelims – 17, Karson Lippert (Stanford) 22.08; 18, John Kroeger (Stanford) 22.08; 23, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 22.44; 24, Dorien Simon (Stanford) 22.51.
Mile – 13, Caleb Boutelle (Stanford) 4:08.11.
3,000 invite – 1, Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin) 7:44.10; 5, Robert DiDonato (Stanford) 8:02.95. Sec.1 -- 9, Zane Bergen (Stanford) 8:04.73 (PB; No. 5 Stanford frosh); 14, Nolan Topper (Stanford) 8:13.03; 21, Liam Anderson (Stanford) 8:24.77.
4x400 relay – 1, Purdue 3:13.19; 6, Stanford (Miles Zoltak, Karson Lippert, John Kroeger, Marcus Floyd) 3:21.41.
Pole vault invite – 1, Luke Windor (unat.) 18-5 ½ (5.63m); 3, Garrett Brown (Stanford) 17-11 ¾ (5.48m) (PB, No. 3 Stanford AT); 6, Max Manson (Stanford) 17-3 ¾ (5.28m); 7, J.T. Herrscher (Stanford) 16-4 (4.98m).
Triple jump – 1, Praise Aniamaka (Purdue) 52-8 (16.05m); 7, Kevin Yang (Stanford) 48-8 ¼ (14.84m); 10, Marcus Floyd (Stanford) 46-4 ¾ (14.14m); 12, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 44-7 ½ (13.60m).
Shot put – 1, Tucker Smith (Oklahoma) 60-10 ½ (18.55m); 9, Sam Liokumovich (Stanford) 51-9 (15.77m); 12, Garin Gross (Stanford) 49-2 ¼ (14.99m).
Women
200 prelims – 4, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 23.75; 6, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 24.08; 19, Cydney Wright (Stanford) 24.67; 22, Samantha Thomas (Stanford) 24.79; 37, Elise Miller (Stanford) 26.05 (PB).
800 – 1, Kaitlin Ryan (Notre Dame) 2:05.50; 2, Melissa Tanaka (Stanford) 2:05.61 (PB); 4, Taylor James (Stanford) 2:07.89; 8, Morgan Foster (Stanford) 2:10.06.
Mile – 17, Imogen Gardiner (Stanford) 4:56.77.
3,000 invite – 1, Yazmine Wright (Oklahoma) 9:07.62; 3, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 9:08.26 (PB); 4, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 9:08.36; 10, Audrey Suarez (Stanford) 9:28.55 (PB); 11, Audrey DaDamio (Stanford) 9:29.51 (PB); 12, Ava Parekh (Stanford) 9:30.69 (PB). Sec.1 -- 1, Riley Stewart (Stanford) 9:14.47 (PB; No. 4 Stanford frosh); 12, Lily Flynn (Stanford) 9:51.53.
4x400 relay 1, Stanford (Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis, Alexa Rossum, Juliette Whittaker) 3:32.59 (school record; facility record); 7, Stanford 'B' (Samantha Thomas, Cydney Wright, Anna Tovkach, Ellie Deligianni) 3:45.42.
Pole vault invite – 1, Olivia Lueking (Oklahoma) 13-8 ¼ (4.17m); 8, Laurel Wong (Stanford) 13-0 ¼ (3.97m).
High jump – 1, Mahogany Jenkins (Indiana) 5-11 ¼ (1.81m); 2, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 5-11 ¼ (1.81m).
Triple jump – 1, Tiera Robinson-Jones (Minnesota) 41-11 ¼ (12.78m); 6, Alaysia Oakes (Stanford) 38-11 ½ (11.87m); Ellie Talius (Stanford) F.
Shot put – 1, Josie Schaefer (Wisconsin) 56-6 (17.22m); 9, Kaiah Fisher (Stanford) 44-10 ¾ (13.68m); 12, Brandy Atuatasi (Stanford) 38-6 ¾ (11.75m).