BUDAPEST, Hungary -- The World Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin Friday at the National Athletics Centre and include six Stanford alums competing and another as a head coach.
Among the six competitors are two Olympic gold medalists: Valarie Allman '17 in the women's discus (Tokyo 2020) and Katerina Stefanidi '12 in the women's pole vault (Rio 2016).
Stanford's best finishes at this meet came from Stefanidi, of Greece, and Kori Carter '14 of the U.S. The Cardinal teammates both won world championships in 2017, with Carter doing so in the women's 400 hurdles.
Dena Dey Evans '96 is the head women's coach for the U.S. team, which features former Stanford roommates Allman and Elise Cranny '18. Evans doubles as head women's distance coach of the U.S. team and will oversee Cranny in two events, the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
Cranny is competing in her third senior global championship, with a best finish of ninth in the 5,000 at the 2022 Worlds.
Harrison Williams. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
Sean McGorty '17, competing in his first senior global championships, will run the 5,000 and 10,000 on the men's side. Harrison Williams '18, the reigning U.S. decathlon champion, competes on the world stage for the second time, placing 14th in 2019 in Doha, Qatar.
For Allman, the American record-holder, this is her fourth World Championships with a high World finish of third in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.
Australia's Mackenzie Little '19 is a rising star in the women's javelin, placing fifth at the 2022 Worlds and was a winner at the 2023 Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Stefanidi is a three-time Olympian competing in her fifth World Championships.
Evans was a two-sport standout at Stanford, in soccer and track and field, earning three All-America honors as a middle-distance runner. She went on to coach the Cardinal women's cross-country team to the 2003 NCAA title and earned national Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year honors and was the 2004 NCAA Assistant Coach of the Year for Women's Distance.
Evans, whose daughter Elise was the 2022 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year for the Stanford soccer team, now serves as director of the Peninsula Distance Club.
Valarie Allman. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
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Coaches and competitors with Stanford ties, and the countries they are representing:
Women's head coach/women's distance coach
Dena Dey Evans '96 (U.S.)
Men
Sean McGorty '17 (U.S.): 5,000, 10,000
Harrison Williams '18 (U.S.): Decathlon
Women
Valarie Allman '17 (U.S.): Discus
Elise Cranny '18 (U.S.): 5,000, 10,000
Mackenzie Little '19 (Australia): Javelin
Katerina Stefanidi '12 (Greece): Pole vault
For the link to the full meet schedule and live results, click here:
Elise Cranny. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
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Stanford's Schedule (all times Pacific)
Saturday, Aug. 19
11:55 a.m.: Women's 10,000 final – Elise Cranny '18 (U.S.).
Sunday, Aug. 20
Midnight: Women's discus qualifying – Valarie Allman '17 (U.S.).
9:25 a.m.: Men's 10,000 final – Sean McGorty '17 (U.S.).
Monday, Aug. 21
11:40 a.m.: Women's pole vault qualifying – Katerina Stefanidi '12 (Greece).
Tuesday, Aug. 22
11:20 a.m.: Women's discus final.
Wednesday, Aug. 23
1:20 a.m.: Women's javelin qualifying – Mackenzie Little '19 (Australia).
2:10 a.m.: Women's 5,000 heats – Elise Cranny '18 (U.S.).
12:30 p.m.: Women's pole vault final.
Thursday, Aug. 24
10 a.m.: Men's 5,000 heats – Sean McGorty '17 (U.S.)
Friday, Aug. 25
1:05 a.m.: Men's decathlon 100 – Harrison Williams '18 (U.S.).
1:55 a.m.: Men's decathlon long jump – Williams.
3:20 a.m.: Men's decathlon shot put – Williams.
9:30 a.m.: Men's decathlon high jump – Williams.
11:20 a.m.: Women's javelin final.
12:05 p.m.: Men's decathlon 400 – Williams.
Saturday, Aug. 26
1:05 a.m.: Men's decathlon 110 hurdles – Harrison Williams '18 (U.S.).
2 a.m.: Men's decathlon discus – Williams.
5 a.m.: Men's decathlon pole vault – Williams.
10:05 a.m.: Men's decathlon javelin – Williams.
11:50 a.m.: Women's 5,000 final.
12:25 p.m.: Men's decathlon 1,500 – Williams.
Sunday, Aug. 27
11:10 a.m.: Men's 5,000 final.