SEATTLE – Stanford ran the third-fastest women’s distance medley relay in collegiate track and field history – including indoors and outdoors – on Friday at the Husky Classic.
The Cardinal team of Juliette Whittaker, Cate Peters, Roisin Willis, and Amy Bunnage ran 10:38.93 on the 307-meter Dempsey Indoor track at the University of Washington, finishing second to BYU in 10:37.58.
They now are the two fastest teams in collegiate indoor history under all conditions. However, because the race was run on an oversized track (over 200 meters), they won’t count on the all-time official indoor list.
The Stanford team broke the school record by eight seconds and seems assured of advancing to the NCAA Indoor Championships in the event, which the Cardinal last won in 2023. The top 12 times in relays and the top 16 in individual events advance to nationals on March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Whittaker and Willis are now part of the three fastest DMR teams in school history, including the foursome – alongside Lucy Jenks and Taylor James -- that ran 10:47.03 to set a school record last year.
Whittaker led off by running the 1,200 in 3:14. Sophomore Cate Peters, in her first DMR, ran the 400 in 55. Willis blazed to a 1:59 for her 800 leg and Bunnage anchored with a 4:29 for 1,600.
Whittaker, a junior who won the NCAA indoor and outdoor 800 titles last year, has broken school records 13 times.
Bunnage has broken three school records this indoor season alone – in the 3,000, 5,000, and now the DMR. The sophomore’s dominance this season is so great that in absolute terms (including indoors and outdoors on all dates), she has run the ninth-fastest 3,000 (8:46.82), and 11th-fastest 5,000, in addition to her third-fastest DMR in collegiate history.
She ranks No. 6 in the 3,000 and No. 6 in the 5,000 on the all-time collegiate indoor performers’ lists.
In the men’s invitational 5,000, graduate student Thomas Boyden unleashed a huge personal best of 13:21.92 to finish second to Washington State’s Evans Kurui in 13:17.16. Boyden’s time was nearly a 12-second improvement upon his previous best of 13:33.88, set earlier this indoor season. Boyden jumps from No. 6 to No. 3 in Stanford indoor history.
Lex Young, a sophomore, joined Boyden on the top-10 lists, by covering 3,000 in 7:50.05 to take the No. 10 spot on the list. Cole Sprout, who ran 7:46.12 to lead Stanford runners in 11th place in the event, already is No. 4.
Stanford distance runners set seven personal records on Friday alone.
Husky Classic
At Dempsey Indoor
(307-meter flat track)
Men
3,000 – 1, Habtom Samuel (New Mexico) 7:39.39; 11, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 7:46.12; 16, Lex Young (Stanford) 7:50.05 (PB; No. 10 Stanford AT); 45, Nolan Topper (Stanford) 7:57.78 (PB); 46, Patrick Koon (Stanford) 7:57.84 (PB); 51, Robert DiDonato (Stanford) 7:59.62; 84, Caleb Boutelle (Stanford) 8:20.04.
5,000 – 1, Evans Kurui (Washington State) 13:17.16; 2, Thomas Boyden (Stanford) 13:21.92 (PB; No. 3 Stanford AT).
Distance medley relay – 1, Washington 9:14.10; 3, Stanford (Leo Young, Zachary Ryan, Zane Bergen, James Dargan) 9:33.38.
Women
3,000 – 1, Hayley Burns (Northern Arizona) 9:01.22; 19, Julia Flynn (Stanford) 9:24.93 (PB).
5,000 – 1, Jenna Hutchins (BYU) 15:31.41; 2, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 15:44.13; 4, Riley Stewart (Stanford) 15:57.59; 6, Audrey Suarez (Stanford) 15:59.81 (PB); 8, Audrey DaDamio (Stanford) 16:03.62 (PB).
Distance medley relay – 1, BYU 10:37.58; 2, Stanford (Juliette Whittaker, Cate Peters, Roisin Willis, Amy Bunnage) 10:38.93 (school record; No. 3 absolute in collegiate history, all dates).
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alyssa Jones won the women’s long jump at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Jones jumped 21-5 ¼ (6.53) to highlight Stanford performances among the sprinters, hurdlers and field-event athletes competing.
Garrett Brown was third in the A section of the men’s pole vault, clearing a season-best 17-10 ½ (5.45).
Four Stanford athletes set personal bests in Albuquerque, led by sophomore Sage Hinton’s 24.02 in the 200, which bettered her two-year-old outdoor PB of 24.10.
Don Kirby Elite Invitational
At Albuquerque Convention Center
(200-meter banked track)
Men
200 – Invitational: 1, Justin Raines (Grand Canyon) 20.59; 15, Olufemi Cole (Stanford) 22.24. Unseeded: 21, Gabriel Ajaegbu (Stanford) 21.87 (PB); 43, Joseph Bailey (Stanford) 22.34 (PB); Dylan Davis (Stanford) DNF.
400 – Unseeded: 35, Joseph Bailey (Stanford) 49.75; 39, Gabriel Ajaegbu (Stanford) 50.12.
Pole vault – A: 1, Scott Toney (Washington) 18-4 ½ (5.60); 3, Garrett Brown (Stanford) 17-10 ½ (5.45).
Long jump – 1, Lokesh Sathyanathan (Tarleton State) 26-0 (7.92); 12, John Kroeger (Stanford) 23-3 ½ (7.10).
Weight throw – 1, Daniel Reynolds (Wyoming) 81-1 ¼ (24.72); 10, Mason McKhann (Stanford) 58-4 ½ (17.79).
Women
200 – Unseeded: 9, Sage Hinton (Stanford) 24.02 (PB); 52, Camille Peisner (Stanford) 25.14; 74, Madison Romain (Stanford) 25.60 (PB); 87, Sevilla Duran (Stanford) 26.35.
400 – Unseeded: 16, Sage Hinton (Stanford) 55.65; 28, Camille Peisner (Stanford) 56.37; 29, Rachel Nelson (Stanford) 56.42; 45, Sevilla Duran (Stanford) 57.67.
Pole vault – B: 3, Lianne Kistler (Stanford) 12-10 ¾ (3.93); 4, Sky Schuller (Stanford) 12-10 ¾ (3.93).
Long jump – 1, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 21-5 ¼ (6.53); 12, Teagan Zwaanstra (Stanford) 19-3 ½ (5.88); 44, Alaysia Oakes (Stanford) 17-10 ¾ (5.45).
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
Stanford’s Saturday Schedule (all times Pacific)
Husky Classic
10:55 a.m.: Women’s mile -- S6, Audrey DaDamio, Hillary Studdert; S7, Amelia Everett; S8, Audrey Suarez; S9, Riley Stewart.
Noon: Mile – S3, Caleb Boutelle; S6, James Dargan, Robert DiDonato, Patrick Koon, Nolan Topper; S9, Zane Bergen, Thomas Boyden, Cole Sprout, Leo Young.
12:55 p.m.: Women’s 800 -- S5, Julia Flynn; S6, Cate Peters, Hillary Studdert; S8, Juliette Whittaker.
2 p.m.: Women’s mile – Invitational, Amy Bunnage.
2:15 p.m.: Women’s 3,000 – Invitational, Sophia Kennedy.
2:30 p.m.: Women’s 4x400 relay -- S3, Stanford.
Don Kirby Elite Invitational
8 a.m.: Women’s shot put – F3, Kaiah Fisher.
8:30 a.m.: Women’s 60 hurdles – H1, Tess Stapleton; H6, Sara Rivas.
9 a.m.: Men’s triple jump -- F2, Kevin Yang.
9 a.m.: Women’s triple jump – F3, Alaysia Oakes.
9:30 a.m.: Men’s 60 – Unseeded, S1, Dylan Davis; S5, John Kroeger.
9:55 a.m.: Women’s 60 -- Unseeded, S2, Alaysia Oakes.
10:35 a.m.: Women’s 60 – Invitational prelims, H2, Teagan Zwaanstra.
11:45 a.m.: Women’s 60 hurdles final.
Noon: Men’s shot put – F1, Garin Gross; F2, Sam Liokumovich.
12:25 p.m.: Women’s 60 – Invitational final.