FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Stanford took the national lead in the women's distance medley relay on Friday night while winning the Razorback Invitational indoor track and field meet in spectacular fashion.
The team of Juliette Whittaker, Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis, and Melissa Tanaka ran 10:55.15 on the 200-meter banked track and the Randal Tyson Track Center at University of Arkansas, with the top eight teams, including Stanford's 'B' team, running the fastest times in the nation this year.
But the real stories came from the splits. Freshman Juliette Whittaker opened with a 1,200 split of 3:18.96 – the third-fastest in collegiate history, and No. 7 by an American and No. 9 all-time in the world. The fastest collegiate indoor split was a 3:18.2 leg run by Stanford's Elise Cranny in 2017 at the Penn State National meet.
Whittaker handed off to the sophomore Valmon, who responded with a 52.41, the second-fastest 400 split in the field. That was the fastest 400 DMR split in Stanford history, improving upon Jayna Smith's 52.5 on the 2000 NCAA championship DMR team.
Next was Willis. The freshman unleashed an 800 split of 2:01.06. Get this … it was the fastest at any level -- world, American or collegiate -- in indoor DMR history. The previous record was 2:01.93 by Brenda Martinez in 2017.
Taking it home was Tanaka, a graduate student and returning All-American. She anchored 1,600 meters in 4:42.73 as the Cardinal won in 1.58 seconds over a strong Arkansas team. The Cardinal ran the No. 6 time in school indoor history and the 23rd-fastest in collegiate history.
The Cardinal freshmen talent doesn't stop there. Alyssa Jones long-jumped 21-0 ½ (6.41 meters), becoming the first 21-footer for the Stanford women in 11 years – since Arantxa King and Karynn Dunn in the same season. Jones placed fourth, but even more impressive, after only three collegiate meets, Jones ranks among the top five all-time at Stanford indoors in three events (200, high jump, and long jump).
Competing in her first multi competition, sophomore Elise Miller scored 3,700 points to vault to No. 4 on Stanford's all-time indoor list. Miller placed 10th in the five-event single-day competition.
In the men's pole vault, sophomore Garrett Brown jumped 17-6 ½ (5.35m) to place third.
The meet continues Saturday with the season debut of NCAA cross country champion Charles Hicks, in the 3,000. In the same race is Ky Robinson, the collegiate leader and Stanford record-holder in the 5,000.
Melissa Tanaka crosses the finish line in the DMR. Photo by David Hicks.
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Friday's results
Razorback Invitational
At Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center
(200-meter banked track)
Winners and all Stanford
Men
200 – 1, Kennedy Lightner (Kentucky) 20.71; 27, Olufemi Cole (Stanford) 21.86 (PB); 32, Dorien Simon (Stanford) 21.99; 37, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 22.28; 38, Karson Lippert (Stanford) 22.30; 40, Marcus Floyd (Stanford) 22.79.
High jump – 1, Kason O'Riley (Arkansas) 7-1 ½ (2.17m); James Stevens (Stanford) NH.
Pole vault – 1, Keaton Daniel (Kentucky) 18-10 ¼ (5.75m); 3, Garrett Brown (Stanford) 17-6 ½ (5.35m); 6, Max Manson (Stanford) 17-0 ¾ (5.20m); 14, J.T. Herrscher (Stanford) 16-0 ¾ (4.90m).
Long jump – 1, Jeremiah Davis (Florida State) 26-11 ¼ (8.21m); 13, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 24-1 ¾ (7.36m); 19, John Kroeger (Stanford) 22-7 (6.88m).
Shot put – 1, Josh Sobota (Kentucky) 65-11 (20.09m); 19, Sam Liokumovich (Stanford) 49-7 (15.11m).
Women
200 – 1, Favour Ofili (LSU) 22.53; 43, Cydney Wright (Stanford) 24.57; 45, Samantha Thomas (Stanford) 24.70 (PB); 68, Megan Olomu (Stanford) 26.37; Camille Peisner (Stanford) DNF; Alexa Rossum (Stanford) DNF; Madison Romain (Stanford) DQ.
Distance medley relay – 1, Stanford (Juliette Whittaker, Maya Valmon, Roisin Willis, Melissa Tanaka) 10:55.15 (No. 6 Stanford AT); 8, Stanford 'B' (Lucy Jenks, Taylor James, Ellie Deligianni, Riley Stewart) 11:10.89; 10, Stanford 'C' (Audrey Suarez, Anna Tovkach, Julia Flynn, Ava Parekh) 11:29.76.
Long jump – 1, Jasmine Moore (Florida) 21-9 ½ (6.64m); 4, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 21-0 ½ (6.41m) (No. 4 Stanford AT; No. 2 Stanford frosh); 8, Alaysia Oakes (Stanford) 18-10 ½ (5.75m); Teagan Zwaanstra (Stanford) F.
Shot put – 1, Jalani Davis (Ole Miss) 55-11 ¼ (17.05m); 19, Brandy Atuatasi (Stanford) 41-9 ¾ (12.74m); Kaiah Fisher (Stanford) F.
Pentathlon – 1, G'Auna Edwards (Texas A&M) 4,138; 10, Elise Miller (Stanford) 3,700 (No. 4 Stanford AT).
Elise Miller (event, place in event, mark, points, place in competition):
60 hurdles – 6, 8.76, 961 (6); High jump – 14, 5-3 ¾ (1.62m), 759 (12); Shot put – 13, 32-9 ¾ (10.00m) (PB), 529 (12); Long jump – 9, 18-8 ½ (5.70m), 759 (13); 800 – 12, 2:30.04 (PB), 692 (10). Total: 3,700.
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Stanford's Saturday Schedule (all times Pacific)
7:45 a.m.: Men's mile – Sec. 2: Caleb Boutelle, Gavin Sherry.
8 a.m.: Women's mile – Sec. 2: Julia Flynn, Imogen Gardiner, Ava Parekh.
8:30 a.m.: Men's 400 – Sec. 2: Olufemi Cole; Sec. 4: Karson Lippert; Sec. 5: Miles Zoltak.
8:45 a.m.: Women's 400 – Sec. 3: Camille Peisner, Samantha Thomas.
9:25 a.m.: Women's 60 hurdles prelims – Ht. 1: Madison Romain.
9:50 a.m.: Men's 60 prelims – Ht. 2: Gabriel Navarro, Udodi Onwuzurike; Ht. 5: Dorien Simon.
10:10 a.m.: Women's 60 prelims – Ht. 1: Alyssa Jones; Ht. 4: Megan Olomu; Ht. 6: Alexa Rossum, Cydney Wright.
10:30 a.m.: Men's mile – Sec. 3: Zane Bergen; Sec. 4: John Lester.
10:50 a.m.: Women's mile – Sec. 3: Audrey Suarez; Sec. 4: Riley Stewart; Sec. 5: Ellie Deligianni, Juliette Whittaker.
11:18 a.m.: Women's 60 hurdles final.
11:30 a.m.: Women's triple jump -- Alaysia Oakes.
11:45 a.m.: Women's 400 – Sec. 10: Maya Valmon.
12:24 p.m.: Men's 60 final.
12:30 p.m.: Women's pole vault -- Kelly Kern, Lianne Kistler, Laurel Wong.
12:30 p.m.: Men's weight throw – Fl. 1: Anthony Argyropoulos; Fl. 2: Max McKhann.
12:32 p.m.: Women's 60 final.
12:35 p.m.: Men's 800 – Sec. 4: Zane Bergen; Sec. 5: John Lester.
12:45 p.m.: Men's triple jump -- Marcus Floyd, Kevin Yang.
12:55 p.m.: Women's 800 – Sec. 2: Taylor James, Melissa Tanaka; Sec. 5: Anna Tovkach; Sec. 6: Roisin Willis.
1:15 p.m.: Men's 3,000 – Sec. 3: Evan Burke, Nolan Topper; Sec. 4: Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau, Robert DiDonato, Devin Hart; Sec. 5: Thomas Boyden, Charles Hicks, Cole Sprout, Ky Robinson.
1:45 p.m.: Women's 3,000 – Sec. 3: Grace Connolly, Lucy Jenks.
2:05 p.m.: Men's 4x400 relay – Sec. 4: Stanford.
2:30 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay – Sec. 2: Stanford 'B'; Sec. 4: Stanford.