STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford will be represented by seven individuals and a relay team at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships March 8-9 in Boston.
Card women's qualifiers are Amy Bunnage (5,000 meters), Lucy Jenks (5,000), Alyssa Jones (high jump, long jump), Juliette Whittaker (800), and Roisin Willis (800) and the distance medley relay team. The DMR foursome that earned the qualifying mark was Jenks, Taylor James, Willis, and Whittaker.
Cardinal men's qualifiers are Garrett Brown (pole vault) and Ky Robinson (3,000, 5,000).
The championships fields – 16 in each individual event and 12 in the relays -- were based on best marks. They are final except for medical scratches.
The women's team has a chance for a high finish at the Track at New Balance. The Cardinal placed fourth last year with 33 points. All individual point scorers -- Jones, Whittaker, and Willis – are back.
Consider also that Stanford won the NCAA distance medley relay title last year and has run even faster this year. Stanford also benefits from a second individual event for Jones this year, and the addition of freshman Amy Bunnage, who last week ran the fourth-fastest all-conditions indoor 5,000 in collegiate history.
For the men, Ky Robinson is the top qualifier in the 3,000 and is No. 2 in the 5,000. Robinson's time of 7:36.69 is the second-fastest all-conditions 3,000 in collegiate indoor history and his 5,000 is the third-fastest.
For Willis and Whittaker, should they reach the 800 finals, it would mean two races on Friday. The 800 semifinal begins at 4:50 p.m. PT and the DMR is at 6 p.m. PT.
A 5,000-DMR double seems out of the question for Jenks, with the 5,000 at 5:20 p.m. PT on Friday, followed by the DMR fewer than 25 minutes after the 5,000's conclusion.
J.J. Clark is Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field and Cross Country.
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Stanford's NCAA qualifiers
Women
Amy Bunnage: 5,000 (No. 3, 15:11.68).
Lucy Jenks: 5,000 (15:33.98).
Alyssa Jones: High jump (No. 14, 6-0 ¾, 1.85), Long jump (No. 6, 21-5 1/2, 6.54).
Juliette Whittaker: 800 (No. 2, 2:00.09).
Roisin Willis: 800 (No. 10, 2:01.99).
Distance medley relay: Lucy Jenks, Taylor James, Roisin Willis, Juliette Whittaker (No. 5, 10:47.03).
Men
Garrett Brown: Pole vault (No. 7, 18-3 1/4, 5.57m).
Ky Robinson: 3,000 (No. 1, 7:36.69); 5,000 (No. 2, 13:06.42).
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Stanford's schedule (all times Pacific)
Friday, March 8
11 a.m.: Men's pole vault final (Garrett Brown).
2:20 p.m.: Men's 5,000 final (Ky Robinson).
4 p.m.: Women's long jump prelim/final (Alyssa Jones).
4:50 p.m.: Women's 800 semifinal (Juliette Whittaker, Roisin Willis).
5:20 p.m.: Women's 5,000 final (Amy Bunnage, Lucy Jenks).
6 p.m.: Women's distance medley relay final.
Saturday, March 9
10 a.m.: Women's high jump final (Alyssa Jones).
2 p.m.: Men's 3,000 final (Ky Robinson).
4:30 p.m.: Women's 800 final.
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Live championship coverage will be streamed on ESPN+ on Friday, March 8 starting at 6:30 a.m. PT and Saturday, March 9 starting at 8:30 a.m. PT. There will be a re-air of the championships at 6 p.m. PT on Monday, March 11 on ESPNU. To access the live stream, visit plus.espn.com.
