AZUSA, Calif. – Stanford sophomore Sophia Kennedy ran the fastest outdoor 5,000 meters ever by a Stanford woman during the collegiate track and field season, on Thursday night.
Competing at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University, Kennedy was clocked in 15:11.12 to place sixth in the fastest invitational section at Cougar Stadium and was fifth among collegiate runners.
Kennedy edged the 15:11.13 by Aisling Cuffe at the 2014 Payton Jordan Invitational as the fastest in-season time outdoor time in school history, though Kennedy is officially No. 2 in Stanford outdoor history. Vanessa Fraser’s 15:09.62 on July 21, 2018, at the Night of Athletics meet in Heusden, Belgium, stands as the school record.
However, during a collegiate outdoor season, Kennedy is No. 10 on the all-time collegiate list and the time is the 13th fastest. Including indoors and outdoors on all dates in a calendar year, Kennedy’s time is the 23rd-fastest in collegiate history. Her personal record of 15:10.71, which placed her fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships last month, is 20th all-time on all dates.
Kennedy, who came through 3,000 in 9:01.12, ran consistent laps of 71 and 72 seconds through 3,400 before slowing to 74 and 76 on the next two laps. However, Kennedy was able to increase her pace to 73 on the penultimate lap before closing in 1:12.39.
Nine Cardinal distance runners were in action at one of the top collegiate distance carnivals of the season.
Stanford’s 2024 Olympic 800 finalist Juliette Whittaker ran her first full 800 of the outdoor season and placed fourth in 2:00.76. Four of the top five times of the NCAA Division I season came in the race, which matched up the past two NCAA outdoor 800 champions, Whittaker and LSU’s Michaela Rose.
Rose and Whittaker broke quickly and came through 400 in 56.79 and 57.51. Whittaker actually ran slightly faster than Rose over the final lap, 1:03.25 to 1:03.43. However, Rose held on for the victory while Whittaker slipped back behind Northern Arizona’s Maggi Congdon (2:00.27) and Washington’s Sophie O’Sullivan (2:00.61).
Whittaker is now fifth on the NCAA Division I outdoor season list.
Thomas Boyden ran the fastest outdoor 5,000 by a Stanford runner this season, running 13:30.75 to place 11th overall and eighth among collegians. The time was a personal outdoor best for Boyden, who ran 13:21.92 indoors this year.
Bryan Clay Invitational
At Cougar Stadium
Wednesday’s results
Men
3,000 steeplechase – Open: 78, Milo Skapinsky (Stanford) 9:17.12 (PB).
Women
10,000 – Invitational, Heat 2: 4, Audrey DaDamio (Stanford) 33:44.25.
Thursday’s results
Men
5,000 – Invitational, Heat 1: 1, Habtom Samuel (New Mexico) 13:05.87; 11, Thomas Boyden (Stanford) 13:30.75; 15, Lex Young (Stanford) 13:40.89; 17, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 13:50.97.
Women
800 – Elite: 1, Michaela Rose (LSU) 2:00.22; 4, Juliette Whittaker (Stanford) 2:00.76. Invitational: 45, Julia Flynn (Stanford) 2:08.19; 51, Amelia Everett (Stanford) 2:08.47; 65, Hillary Studdert (Stanford) 2:09.06 (PB).
5,000 – Invitational, Heat 1: 1, Pamela Kosgei (New Mexico) 14:52.45; 6, Sophia Kennedy (Stanford) 15:11.12 (No. 2 Stanford AT). Heat 2: 15, Riley Stewart (unat.) 16:06.92.
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
Stanford's Weekend Schedule
Bryan Clay Invitational
At Azusa Pacific University
Friday
6 p.m.: Men’s 1,500 Open B (S6: Caleb Boutelle).
7 p.m.: Women’s 1,500 Invitational (S2: Hillary Studdert; S3: Julia Flynn; S9: Zofia Dudek).
8:25 p.m.: Men’s 1,500 Invitational (S1: Zane Bergen, Leo Young; S2: Thomas Boyden; S3: Cole Sprout; S4: James Dargan; S8: Lex Young).
9:15 p.m.: Women’s 1,500 Open A (S1: Amelia Everett; S11: Ava Parekh).
10:15 p.m.: Men’s 1,500 Open A (S2: Robert DiDonato; S4: Nolan Topper; S5: Milo Skapinsky).
Mt. SAC Relays
At Mt. San Antonio College
Friday
11 a.m.: Men’s long jump Collegiate (John Kroeger).
11 a.m.: Women’s long jump Collegiate (Alaysia Oakes, Teagan Zwaanstra).
12:15 p.m.: Women’s 400 Collegiate (Sevilla Duran, Sage Hinton, Rachel Nelson, Camille Peisner, Addie Pendergast, Cate Peters).
12:45 p.m.: Men’s 400 Collegiate (Gabriel Ajaegbu, Ryce Reynolds, Zachary Ryan).
1 p.m.: Men’s shot put Collegiate (Garin Gross).
1 p.m.: Women’s pole vault Invitational B Elite (Sky Schuller).
1:15 p.m.: Women’s 100 Collegiate (Teagan Zwaanstra).
1:45 p.m.: Men’s 100 Collegiate (Dylan Davis).
2:20 p.m.: Women’s 400 hurdles Collegiate (Sevilla Duran, Addie Pendergast, Madison Romain).
2:45 p.m.: Men’s 400 hurdles Collegiate (Joseph Bailey, Ryce Reynolds).
3 p.m.: Women’s shot put Collegiate (Kaiah Fisher).
3:05 p.m.: Women’s 200 Collegiate (Sage Hinton, Rachel Nelson, Camille Peisner, Trinity Price).
3:30 p.m.: Men’s 200 Collegiate (Gabriel Ajaegbu, Olufemi Cole, Dylan Davis, Zachary Ryan).
3:55 p.m.: Women’s 800 Collegiate (Camille Peisner).
4 p.m.: Women’s triple jump Collegiate (Alaysia Oakes).
4 p.m.: Women’s pole vault Collegiate A (Lianne Kistler).
4 p.m.: Men’s discus Collegiate A (Sam Liokumovich).
5:30 p.m.: Women’s discus Collegiate A (Kaiah Fisher).
5:55 p.m.: Men’s 4x400 relay Collegiate (Stanford).
Saturday
Noon: Men’s hammer Collegiate (Mason McKhann).
12:20 p.m.: Women’s 4x100 relay Invitational Elite (Stanford).
1:30 p.m.: Women’s high jump Invitational Elite (Alyssa Jones).
1:30 p.m.: Women’s long jump Invitational Elite (Alyssa Jones).
2:20 p.m.: Men’s pole vault Invitational Elite (Garrett Brown).
2:45 p.m.: Men’s shot put Invitational Elite (Sam Liokumovich).
3:30 p.m.: Women’s discus Invitational Elite (Emma Sralla).
3:30 p.m.: Men’s triple jump Invitational Elite (Xavier Drumgoole).
4:45 p.m.: Women’s 4x400 relay Invitational elite (Stanford).
Long Beach Invitational
At Long Beach State University
Friday
11:30 a.m.: Men’s hammer throw Gold Invitational (F4: Mason McKhann).
Saturday
10 a.m.: Men’s shot put (F3: Garin Gross).
10 a.m.: Women’s discus Gold Invitational (F7: Kaiah Fisher).
2 p.m.: Women’s shot put Gold Invitational (F6: Kaiah Fisher).