Eight women and six men will compete in a total of seven events at nationals on March 11-12 at the Birmingham (Ala.) CrossPlex. Stanford will have its most competitors since 2012, when it brought 15.
The group includes two who never have competed in an NCAA championship meet – Justin Brinkley for the men and Malika Waschmann for the women. The rest have combined for 33 All-America honors, including 24 among The Cardinal women.
Stanford’s Aisling Cuffe was in the 17th position in the 3,000 meters – one spot out of qualifying – but benefitted from two pull-outs. No. 2 Wesley Frazier of North Carolina State is not competing and No. 8 Kaela Edwards of Oklahoma State will run the mile. Cuffe, the 2014 NCAA 5,000 runner-up indoors and outdoors, made the field on the strength of her first race this season – a sixth-place 9:10.59 at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships last week.
The Stanford women qualified No. 1 in the distance medley relay, but will use a much different lineup than the one that ran 10:54.58 to win the Penn State National meet. From that squad, Claudia Saunders (1,200 leg) and Olivia Baker (800) both will concentrate on the 800. Elise Cranny and Waschmann will take over their places, and join incumbents Kristyn Williams (400) and Rebecca Mehra (1,600).
This is the seventh consecutive year the Stanford men’s DMR has qualified, and the fifth consecutive year for the Cardinal women.
The Stanford men ran to a school DMR record and the fifth-fastest time in collegiate history (9:27.27) at Penn State and will run with the same lineup – Tom Coyle, Jackson Shumway, Justin Brinkley, and Sean McGorty-- as the No. 4 seed. The emphasis on the DMR affects McGorty, who finds a favorable schedule in the Friday DMR and Saturday 3,000.
McGorty had the No. 2 qualifying time in the mile from his epic duel with Washington’s Izaic Yorks, who ran 3:53.89 to McGorty’s 3:53.95. They were the two fastest miles ever run indoors by American collegians.
Several of the big names from that event – Yorks, McGorty, Syracuse’s Justyn Knight, and especially Oregon’s Edward Cheserek – have chosen to bypass that event in favor of the 3,000.
The closest Cardinal to come without making the NCAA field was the women’s 4x400 relay. Stanford’s was three spots (and 0.45 seconds) from being among the 12 to earn a berth. Individually, Cranny was six spots (0.64 seconds) from qualifying in the mile. For the men, Collin Leibold was four spots (1.63 seconds) from inclusion in the 5,000.
Meet Central Page: Click here
Women’s entries: Clck here
Men’s entries: Click here
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Stanford Qualifiers
Men
Sean McGorty, 3,000 (No. 4, 7:48.79), DMR*
Tom Coyle, DMR*
Justin Brinkley, DMR*
Jackson Shumway, DMR*
Darian Brooks, TJ (No. 13, 52-9 1/4)
Harrison Williams, Hep (No. 13, 5,690)
* No. 4 seed, 9:27.27
Women
Olivia Baker, 800 (No. 11, 2:04.10)
Elise Cranny, DMR*
Aisling Cuffe, 3,000 (No. 15, 9:10.59)
Vanessa Fraser, 3,000 (No. 13, 9:09.89)
Rebecca Mehra, DMR*
Claudia Saunders, 800 (No. 13, 2:04.43)
Malika Waschmann, DMR*
Kristyn Williams, DMR*
* No. 1 seed, 10:54.58
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Stanford’s’ Schedule:
Friday, March 11
10 a.m. PT (noon CT): Men’s heptathlon 60 (Harrison Williams)
10:40 a.m. PT (12:40 p.m. CT): Men’s heptathlon long jump (Harrison Williams).
11:50 a.m. PT (1:50 p.m. CT): Men’s heptathlon shot put (Harrison Williams)
1 p.m. PT (3 p.m. CT): Men’s heptathlon high jump (Harrison Williams)
5:35 p.m. PT (7:35 p.m. CT): Women’s 800 semifinals (Olivia Baker, Claudia Saunders).
6:45 p.m. PT (8:45 p.m. CT): Men’s distance medley relay (Tom Coyle, Jackson Shumway, Justin Brinkley, Sean McGorty).
7 p.m. PT (9 p.m. CT): Women’s distance medley relay (Elise Cranny, Kristyn Williams, Malika Waschmann, Rebecca Mehra).
Saturday
10 a.m. PT (noon CT): Men’s heptathlon 60 hurdles (Harrison Wiliams)
10:50 a.m. PT (12:50 p.m. CT): Men’s heptathlon pole vault (Harrison Williams)
1:30 p.m. PT (3:30 p.m. CT): Men’s triple jump final (Darian Brooks)
1:45 p.m. PT (3:45 p.m. CT): Men’s heptathlon 1,000 (Harrison Williams)
4:10 p.m. PT (6:10 p.m. CT): Men’s 3,000 final (Sean McGorty)
4:25 p.m. (6:25 p.m. CT): Women’s 3,000 final (Aisling Cuffe, Vanessa Fraser)
