STANFORD, Calif. – Five days have passed since the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational and attention has moved on to upcoming conference meets and beyond. However, the results of the meet warrant one more look.
The 20th annual track and field meet traditionally accounts for many of the fastest times nationally and internationally and this is a good opportunity to take stock overall, and revisit some of the strong Stanford performances.
First, some numbers to consider from this year’s Payton Jordan (thank you to Michael Jay):
• 50 men under 14:00 for 5,000 meters.
• 37 women under 16:00 for 5,000.
• 35 men under 29:00 for 10,000.
• 38 women under 33:00 for 10,000.
• 17 men under 8:45 in the 3,000 steeplechase.
• 37 women under 4:20 in the 1,500.
See below for a list of the all records broken, and leading marks set at Saturday's meet.
Next, here are some of the reactions from Stanford runners after completing their races:
Jessica Tonn continues to amaze. Not only has she consistently improved over the course of her Stanford career, but each year seems like a breakthrough, only for the next to be even better.
Tonn’s 15:18.85 made her the seventh-fastest American collegian ever, as well as the fastest college runner in the country this year, finishing 13th in a fast section one.
Afterward, Tonn stood for a few moments, dropped onto the track to sit for a while, and rose with a myriad of emotions combined with pure exhaustion.
A year ago, teammate Aisling Cuffe became the second-fastest American collegian of all-time, running 15:11.13. Tonn ran 15:32.26 in, what at the time, seemed a breakthrough. Cuffe has sat out this season, but has a full year of cross country, and indoor and outdoor track ahead in 2015-16.
“Not having Aisling out here is kind of a bummer,” said Tonn, as tears mixed with sweat. “It’s been hard seeing her on the sidelines, so it’s kind of for her.
“Why am I crying?”
Tonn described how all the 1500s and miles she’s done made the early 73-second pace seem easy.
“The first mile felt awesome and I was kind of going back and forth in my mind, can I hang with that group going 71-72. But I just hung and stayed patient. Thank God I did.”
Claudia Saunders sliced five seconds off her season best in the 800 and confirmed her status as one of the nation’s elite half-milers. The 2014 NCAA outdoor runner-up set a personal record 2:01.79 – improving on her No. 3 spot on Stanford’s all-time list -- in finishing second to Arkansas’ Chrishuna Williams.
“We try to emphasize, not running for a certain place or a certain time, but going out and putting yourself out there -- running a tough aggressive race and the rest will take care of itself. That’s been a big mental breakthrough for me this year. I saw this race as an opportunity to get better. ‘Not, I’ve got to run this time and beat this person, and you create all this pressure. It was more, I’m going to put myself out there, and see this as an opportunity to get better and have fun.
Saunders’ success last year, as a sophomore in only her second year concentrating on the event, “did raise expectations. But I think I realized that’s not the best way for me to approach it,” she said.
“Every year is different. I don’t think I was undeserving of second by any means, but if we another race, it might be completely different. I try to think of it as a confidence booster, not something that’s haunting me. All you can really do is give your best each time.”
Stanford runners took a different tact than most. Yes, they wanted to run fast, but times were not their purpose. Instead, they were the product.
“A lot of people come here to run fast, but we come to compete,” said Molly McNamara, who set a personal best of 4:20.86. “The thing I love about Coach Milt’s philosophy is we don’t change what we’re doing. We just compete and be gritty in every race we’re in. Competing is the skill that has to be learned.”
Much like Elise Cranny the year before, high school senior Grant Fisher came into the Payton Jordan ready to make an impact against older and more experienced runners.
Fisher, a two-time Foot Locker national cross country champion and a 4:02 miler, stayed patient in the third section of the 1,500. Fisher stayed near the back of the pack, running alongside future teammate Tom Coyle, and then moved up a pair of places to snag seventh in 3:42.89, making him the fourth-fastest high school runner ever for that distance,
“This is my first race on this track, but there’s a lot to come,” Fisher said. “That makes me pretty excited about what’s next.
“I knew the rabbit was going to go out in 1:58, that’s faster than I’ve ever gone out,” Fisher said. “So, I wanted to sit back. I know most people would be fixated on top-six positioning, so my coach and I decided on top eight. It was great. There wasn’t any jostling where I was at.
“When it came time to race, I had a little trouble getting around people, and they pushed me around a little bit, but that’s racing. I came here to run fast, and I got that goal accomplished.”
There has been much talk about whether Fisher can break 4:00 at New York’s Dream Mile on June 13. His Payton Jordan 1,500 time converts to 4:00.72 for a mile.
“Every year, someone’s fixated on sub-4 for someone,” Fisher said. “More often than not, it doesn’t happen. I think a lot of guys get caught up in the hype of it. I want to run fast, and this is the first stepping stone to get there. I’m going to get better from here on out. If it takes me sub-4, than it does. If it doesn’t, and I still run well, than I’m happy with it.”
Stanford senior Luke Lefebure got the fast 800 he was looking for. A year ago, he anticipated a fast race in section one, but sidestepping a fall altered his plans. This year, there was no such obstacle. Lefebure ran 1:47.73, approaching his best time from last year, which got him sixth in the NCAA’s.
“I knew I had it in me,” Lefebure said. “It was just getting in the right situation to do it. I think I was in the same spot last year, but I didn’t really get the opportunity. Today, I knew I had to put myself in it and the time would come.”
The men’s 5,000 brought three personal records for Stanford runners and the women’s produced two.
Erik Olson had a small improvement, to 13:36.77, but it was a personal best nonetheless from section two. Jack Keelan (13:45.82) and Garrett Sweatt (13:54.40) ran their bests from section three.
“The key for me is consistent training,” Keelan said. “I’ve been lucky enough to run consistently since I got here -- not trying to hit a home run every workout, but being consistent for a year, a year and a half. Hoping for four or five years and seeing what happens then.”
Olson ran a similar time to last year, but feels he’s much stronger this year. That was evident with a strong final lap, a much stronger finish than in 2014.
“I feel like my close is better,” said Olson, a fifth-year senior. “I didn’t make NCAA’s last year because of that. Yeah, I was happy with how it ended up, because I was able to kick.”
So, what’s changed?
“Just another year under Milt’s training,” he said. “We do a lot of strength work. Strength helps a prolonged kick. But we also tap into some pretty quick stuff. That helps and being another year older … There’s this thing called old man strength, which I’d like to call stubbornness."
Stanford sophomore Vanessa Fraser continues to improve, breaking 16 minutes for 5,000 for the first time, while running 15:54.12 to finish 13th in the second section. Fraser likes to run from behind, but the pace was so fast, that strategy would not work. And that was fine with Fraser.
“That’s the thing we talked a lot about,” Fraser said. “Even in indoor season, I was forced to take the lead and take an honest pace. That’s one of the reasons (coach Chris Miltenberg) put me in Heat 2. It was obviously very loaded. Girls had gone 15:40 in it. The idea is when we go to regionals, it’s going to be this exact kind of racing -- fighting to get to that spot to nationals. Being able to practice that kind of racing is exactly what I haven’t had and really what I need to prepare.”
Garrett Heath ’08 ran the fastest time in the country this year, using a strong move with 200 to go to surge toward the lead, only for Mexico’s Juan Luis Barrios to hold on for the 5,000 victory.
Heath is among the most versatile distance runners in the country, typically among the U.S. Championship finalists in the 1,500 and deadly at road miles and 4K cross country. At least one fellow competitor thinks Heath can be a top finisher on the high-caliber international stage in a strategic 5,000, where flat-out 5K speed isn’t needed, but a strong finish is.
“The shorter the better,” Heath said. “I really want to settle into the mile and 15, but every year I get closer and closer to being a 5K guy. Long term, that’s where I’m headed. Shortterm, I’m still a mile-1500 guy.”
With Fisher moving into the all-time high school Top 10 performers’ list, the member of Stanford’s class of ’19 enhances an already strong Stanford flavor to the list.
Stanford alums Ryan Hall and Jonathon Riley occupy Nos. 3 and 5 on the list, and another Stanford star, Donald Sage, is No. 7. At No. 6 is Matt Centrowitz, whose sister Lauren ran for Stanford. And at No. 10 is Blake Haney, who was a high school teammate of current Stanford runner Cameron Miller.
Here are some of the many records and achievements from the meet:
Stadium record (1):
• Men’s hammer (252-6): England’s Nick Miller, a two-time NCAA runner-up at Oklahoma State and Commonwealth Games silver medalist.
Meet records (2):
Men’s 800 (1:45.30): Boris Berian, the 2012 NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor champion at Adams State, now representing Big Bear TC.
Men's hammer: Nick Miller (see above).
National records (3):
Women’s 10,000: Natasha Wodak (Canada), 31:42.59; Santa Ines Melchor Huiza (Peru), 31:56.62; Carolina Tabares Guerrero (Colombia), 32:24.24.
Junior national record (1):
Men’s 5,000: Justyn Knight (Canada), 13:34.86. Bruce Kidd’s record of 13:43.80 had stood since 1962.
Under-23 national record (1):
Men's hammer: Nick Miller (Great Britian), 252-6.
NCAA Division II record (1):
Men’s steeplechase: Tabor Stevens (Adams State), 8:26.81.
All-time Collegiate performers’ lists:
Women’s steeplechase: Courtney Frerichs (Missouri-Kansas City), No. 3 (9:32.12). Only Colorado’s Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn have run faster during a collegiate season; Colleen Quigley (Florida State), No. 4 (9:33.63).
Women’s 5,000: Jessica Tonn (Stanford), No. 7 U.S. collegian (9:18.85); also No 9 collegiate performer and No. 10 performance in collegiate competition only.
Women’s 10,000: Emily Sisson (Providence), No. 4 (31:38.03); Kate Avery (Iona), No. 5 (31:41.44); Emma Bates (Boise State), No. 10 (32:13.28).
All-Time High School Performers’ List:
Boys’ 1,500: Grant Fisher (Grand Blanc HS, Michigan; future Stanford runner), No. 5 performer, No. 9 performance (3:42.89).
Girls’ 1,500: Christina Aragon (Billings HS, Montana), No. 5 (4:16.36)
World-leading times (2):
Men’s steeplechase: Stanley Kebenei (Arkansas), 8:23.93.
Women’s 10,000: Sally Kipyego (Kenya) 14:57.44.
U.S.-leading times (7):
Men’s 800: Boris Berian, 1:45.30.
Men’s 1,500: Chad Noelle, 3:38.35.
Men’s steeplechase: Dan Huling, 8:24.61.
Men’s 5,000: Garrett Heath, 13:16.31.
Men’s 10,000: Ben True, 27:43.79.
Women’s steeplechase: Courtney Frerichs (Missouri-Kansas City) 9:32.12.
Women’s 5,000: Nicol Tully15:05.58
Collegiate-leading times (9):
Men’s 800: Brannon Kidder (Penn State), 1:45.58.
Women’s 800: Chrishuna Williams (Arkansas), 2:01.61.
Men’s 1,500: Chad Noelle (Oklahoma State), 3:38.35.
Men’s 5,000: Kemoy Campbell (Arkansas), 13:20.39.
Women’s 5,000: Jessica Tonn (Stanford), 15:18.85.
Men’s 10,000: Jason Witt (BYU), 27:54.25.
Women’s 10,000: Emily Sisson (Providence), 31:38.03.
Men’s steeplechase: Stanley Kebenei (Arkansas), 8:23.93.
Women’s steeplechase: Courtney Frerichs (UMKC), 9:32.12.
School records set (21):
Men
800: Sean Gomes (San Francisco) 1:51.46.
1,500: Michael Ward (Bradley), 3:44.56.
5,000: Justyn Knight (Syracuse), 13:34.86; Marc Scott (Tulsa), 13:36.81.
10,000: Jose Madera (San Francisco), 29:07.75.
Steeplechase: Tabor Stevens (Adams State), 8:26.81; Ole Hesselbjerg (Eastern Kentucky), 8:33.22.
Javelin: Robert Parker (San Francisco), 200-0.
Women
800: Chrishuna Williams (Arkansas) 2:01.61; Olicia Williams (Baylor) 2:02.26; Hanna Green (Virginia Tech), 2:02.62.
1,500: Annemarie Schwanz (Fresno State), 4:20.33.
3,000 steeplechase: Courtney Frerichs (UMKC), 9:32.12; Colleen Quigley (Florida State), 9:33.63; Ingeborg Loevnes (Oklahoma State), 9:48.89; Abby Caldwell (Iowa State), 10:19.21; Heather Demorest (Montana State), 10:14.60;
5,000: Dominique Scott (Arkansas) 15:32.55.
10,000: Emily Sisson (Providence), 31:38.03; Kate Avery (Iona), 31:41.44; Emma Bates (Boise State) 32:12.28.
Stanford Top-10 list additions and improvements:
Men
5,000: Erik Olson (13:36.77; No. 9 all-time).
Women
800: Claudia Saunders (2:01.79, No. 3 all-time).
1,500: Elise Cranny (4:16.22; No. 10 all-time; No. 2 frosh all-time).
5,000: Jessica Tonn (15:18.85; No. 2 all-time).
Steeplechase: Danielle Katz (10:25.00; No. 8 all-time).