COLLEGE STATION, Texas – One step from the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Stanford athletes will attempt to qualify for Eugene through the four-day NCAA West Prelims, which begin Wednesday at Texas A&M’s E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Twenty-one Stanford track and field athletes – 11 men and 10 women – plus two women’s relay teams – will be competing in the meet that helps determine the NCAA Championships field.
The West regional is one of two in the country, along with another in Jacksonville, Florida. Athletes got this far by achieving a mark among the top 48 from each half of the country. In the relays, 24 teams advanced.
The top 12 in each event advance to the NCAA Championships, creating a 24-participant field. The NCAA Championships are June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon.
Roisin Willis, the 2024 NCAA outdoor 800-meter runner-up, and five-time first-team long-jump All-American Alyssa Jones headline the Cardinal contingent. Jones will compete in four events: the long jump, high jump, 100, and 4x100 relay.
Top women’s seeds for Stanford are: Wills (No. 2) in the 800, Sophia Kennedy (No. 2) in the 1,500, Jones (No. 2) in the long jump, and Zofia Dudek (No. 5) in the 5,000.
For the men, Lex Young (No. 6) in the 10,000 is the only Cardinal with a qualifying mark among the top 12.
Three men’s true freshmen have qualified: James Dargan (No. 29) in the 5,000, Xavier Drumgoole (No. 24) in the triple jump, and Ryce Reynolds (No. 40) in the 400 hurdles.
Other Stanford first-time qualifiers are junior Zane Bergen (men’s 1,500) and sophomore Hillary Studdert (women’s 800 and 1,500).
The members of the women's 4x100 relay team that recorded its fastest time this season were Teagan Zwaanstra, Jones, Alaysia Oakes, and Sage Hinton at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships.
Members of Stanford’s fastest women’s 4x400 relay team this year were Hinton, Willis, Juliette Whittaker, and Cate Peters. Camille Peisner is expected to run in Whittaker’s place in College Station.
Cardinal competing who have previously reached All-America status (including cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field) are Garrett Brown (pole vault) and Cole Sprout (10,000) for the men. For the women, they are Dudek, Jones, Kennedy, and Willis.
Stanford’s Schedule (all times Pacific)
Wednesday
3:30 p.m.: Men’s pole vault first round and quarterfinals (top 12 advance) -- F1: Garrett Brown.
4 p.m.: Men’s shot put first round and quarterfinals (top 12) -- F2: Sam Liokumovich.
4:30 p.m.: Men’s 1,500 first round (top 5 + 4) -- H1: Zane Bergen; H2: Leo Young.
6:20 p.m.: Men’s 400 hurdles first round (top 3 + 6) – H1: Ryce Reynolds.
7:10 p.m.: Men’s 10,000 semifinal (top 12) – Thomas Boyden, Cole Sprout, Lex Young.
Thursday
2:30 p.m.: Women’s long jump first round and quarterfinals (top 12) – F2: Teagan Zwaanstra; F4: Alyssa Jones.
4 p.m.: Women’s shot put first round and quarterfinals (top 12) – F1: Kaiah Fisher.
4:30 p.m.: Women’s 1,500 first round (top 5 + 4) – H3: Hillary Studdert; H4: Julia Flynn.
5 p.m.: Women’s 100 first round (top 3 + 6) – H2: Teagan Zwaanstra; H6: Alyssa Jones.
5:50 p.m.: Women’s 800 first round (top 3 + 6) – H4: Hillary Studdert; H5: Roisin Willis.
7:10 p.m.: Women’s 10,000 semifinal (top 12) – Audrey DaDamio.
Friday
12:30 p.m.: Men’s triple jump first round and quarterfinals (top 12) – F3: Xavier Drumgoole.
3:15 p.m.: Men’s 1,500 quarterfinals (top 5 + 2).
5:25 p.m.: Men’s 400 hurdles quarterfinals (top 3 + 3).
6:10 p.m.: Men’s 5,000 semifinals (top 5 + 2) – H1: Robert DiDonato, Leo Young; H2: Thomas Boyden, James Dargan, Lex Young.
Saturday
11 a.m.: Women’s discus first round and quarterfinals (top 12) – F2: Kaiah Fisher.
12:30 p.m.: Women’s triple jump first round and quarterfinals (top 12) – F1: Alaysia Oakes.
1:30 p.m: Women’s high jump first round and quarterfinals (top 12) – F2: Alyssa Jones.
3 p.m.: Women’s 4x100 relay quarterfinals (top 3 + 3) – H3: Stanford.
3:15 p.m.: Women’s 1,500 quarterfinals (top 5 + 2).
4:35 p.m.: Women’s 100 quarterfinals (top 3 + 3).
5:05 p.m.: Women’s 800 quarterfinals (top 3 + 3).
6:10 p.m.: Women’s 5,000 semifinals (top 5 + 2).
6:45 p.m.: Women’s 4x400 relay (top 3 + 3) – H2: Stanford.
Note: Rounds (first round, quarterfinals, semifinals) are listed in conjunction with the final NCAA Championships destination. For example, first round and quarterfinals in College Station May 28-31 continue with semifinals and final in Eugene on June 11-14.