ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stanford anchor leg Juliette Whittaker was losing ground while leading on the final lap of the women's distance medley relay, but mustered enough energy to hold off Arkansas and give the Cardinal the victory at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday.
The Stanford team of graduate student Melissa Tanaka, sophomore Maya Valmon, freshman Roisin Willis, and freshman Whittaker led through every baton exchange on the 200-meter banked track at the Albuquerque Convention Center and won with a time of 10:56.34, a facility record.
But Stanford's 25-meter lead began to dwindle as Whittaker, running her second race in barely an hour and at Albuquerque's 5,300-foot elevation, began to labor late in the final laps as Lauren Gregory of Arkansas closed hard. Whittaker appeared on the verge on being caught as she rounded the final turn, only to put together enough of a burst to win the race, before collapsing with her back on the track and her eyes closed as she gasped for breath with her celebrating teammates surrounding her.
The victory ended a lot of heartbreak for Stanford in this event. Stanford was second last year. And from 2014-18, the Cardinal was second four times and third once, finishing behind the winners in all those races by a combined difference of a mere 6.00 seconds. In 2014 and 2015, Stanford was leading on the final leg only to be chased down by Arkansas both times.
This time, Stanford was able to gain a measure of vengeance, while winning the women's DMR for the first time since 2000.
Tanaka ran fifth for much of her opening 1,200-meter leg, but made a move on the backstretch of her final lap to put the Cardinal in front for good. Her split was 3:23.02. Valmon extended the lead with 400 leg of 51.91, the second-fastest in the field.
Willis pushed the lead even farther, running an 800 leg of 2:02.75, the fastest in the field. Finally, Whittaker, with the luxury of not being able to keep something in reserve, ran her 1,600 anchor in 4:38.67, with Gregory closing in 4:31.36.
It the first NCAA indoor victory for the Stanford women since triple jumper Erica McLain won the second of her back-to-back triple jump titles in 2008.
Whittaker and Willis continue their demanding schedule in the 800 final on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. PT and also are part of Stanford's 4x400 relay team, which races at 4:20 p.m., though they could be replaced with alternates.
Each won their 800 prelim heats – Whittaker in 2:01.82 and Willis in 2:04.36. They came into the meet with the first (Willis) and third-best (Whittaker) collegiate times in the country. The two close friends also have a long competitive history, with Willis winning and Whittaker placing third at the World Under-20 Championships 800 final in August in Cali, Colombia.
The winning relay team: Melissa Tanaka, Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis, Juliette Whittaker. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
Two Stanford records fell on Friday. The first came from freshman Alyssa Jones, who opened the women's long jump with a leap of 22-1 ½ (6.74m). Her personal best was 21-4 (6.50m). The mark placed her second after the first of six rounds, but Jones was unable to improve and dropped two spots to placed fourth – a huge bonus for the Cardinal.
The jump was a school absolute record. The Stanford indoor mark was 21-8 ¾ (6.62), set in 1992 by Jackie Edwards. The absolute record was Edwards' outdoor mark of 21-11 ¾ (6.70m) from 1991.
In the men's 200, sophomore Udodi Onwuzurike arrived as the No. 13 seed and ran the fastest time in qualifying – 20.17 (20.161), edging Alabama's Tarsis Orogot in 20.169. Onwuzurike, who was third in that event at NCAA's outdoors last year, has run only three indoor 200s as a collegian – all this year – and has broken the Cardinal standard each time.
His indoor best was 20.56. Onwuzurike has broken Stanford records, including indoors and outdoors, 12 times. Onwuzurike is the first from Stanford to qualify for NCAA Indoors in the men's 200 since 1997 and is the first to reach the final.
In the men's pole vault, sophomore Garrett Brown placed eighth in a personal best 18-3 (5.56m). Brown was perfect through his first three heights, but failed on his first two tries at 18-1 (5.51m). Brown has been on the cusp of 18 feet for the past several meets and finally broke that barrier on his third try.
At 18-3, Brown cleared it on his second attempt and strengthened his hold on the No. 3 spot in Stanford history while also becoming the first male from Stanford to reach the NCAA Indoor meet in the pole vault since 2008.
John Lester broke an even longer streak. The sophomore became the first male from Stanford to compete in the 800 at this meet since 1988. Lester did not advance to the final – placing sixth in his semifinal heat -- but did earn his first All-America honor by placing 10th overall.
The men's 5,000 featured three Stanford runners – Ky Robinson (seventh), Charles Hicks (ninth), and Devin Hart (15th). Hart led early and the Stanford runners ran midpack for the much of the race before Robinson made a bid late in the race before fading.
Robinson races again, on Saturday, in the 3,000.
In the women's 5,000, junior Zofia Dudek earned her first track and field All-America honor and second overall by placing 13th.
Max McKhann, who has rewritten the Stanford record book in the 35-pound weight throw this season, was 15th and earned his second All-America honor.
Juliette Whittaker holds off Arkansas (left, with Washington getting lapped on the right) to win the DMR. Photo by David Hicks.
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NCAA Indoor Championships
At Albuquerque Convention Center
(200-meter banked track)
Friday's results
Winners and all Stanford
Men
Team leaders (after first of two days) – 1, Arkansas 20; 2, Ole Miss 14; 3, BYU 12; 23, Stanford 3.
200 prelims – Ht. 4: 1 (1st overall), Udodi Onwuzurike (Stanford) 20.17 (school record).
800 prelims – Ht. 1: 6 (10th overall), John Lester (Stanford) 1:50.03.
5,000 final – 1, Dylan Jacobs (Tennessee) 13:37.59; 7, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 13:47.11; 9, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 14:01.34; 15, Devin Hart (Stanford) 14:38.37.
Pole vault final – 1, Sondre Guttormsen (Princeton) 19-8 ¼ (6.00m); 8, Garrett Brown (Stanford) 18-3 (5.56m) (PB; No. 3 Stanford AT).
Weight throw final – 1, Isaiah Rogers (Kennesaw State) 79-6 (24.23m); 15, Max McKhann (Stanford) 68-1 ¾ (20.77m).
Women
Team leaders (after first of two days) – 1, Florida 21; 2, Arkansas 18; 3, North Carolina State 17; 6, Stanford 15.
800 prelims – Ht. 1: 1 (1st overall), Juliette Whittaker (Stanford) 2:01.82. Ht. 2 (7th overall): 1, Roisin Willis (Stanford) 2:04.36.
5,000 final – 1, Katelyn Tuohy (North Carolina State) 16:09.65; 13, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 16:38.98.
Distance medley relay – 1, Stanford (Melissa Tanaka, Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis, Juliette Whittaker) 10:56.34 (facility record; No. 9 Stanford AT).
Long jump final – 1, Jasmine Moore (Florida) 23-0 ¾ (7.03m); 4, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 22-1 ½ (6.74m) (PB; school record; Stanford frosh record).
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Stanford's Saturday schedule (all times Pacific)
3:30 p.m.: Women's 800 final (Juliette Whittaker, Roisin Willis).
4:20 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay final (Stanford).
6:50 p.m.: Men's 200 final (Udodi Onwuzurike).
7 p.m.: Men's 3,000 final (Ky Robinson).
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ESPN+ will stream the championships live starting at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time Saturday. There will be two re-airs of the meet. The first re-air will take place starting at 3 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, March 12, on ESPNU. The second re-air of the championship will take place starting at 4 p.m. Pacific time Monday, March 13, on ESPNU.