Forty-six athletes from Stanford’s track and field team had a final opportunity to compete for points necessary to qualify for the NCAA Championships this past weekend at the MPSF Indoor Championships in Seattle.
Junior Sean McGorty ran the fastest mile in Stanford history on Saturday, placing a very close second in the event with a 3:53.95, losing by just .06 seconds to Washington’s Izaic Yorks. Despite the record not being included due to track size, the two runners ran the fastest two times ever by American collegians indoors.
In the individual women’s 400, Kristyn Williams placed second with a 53.39. Meanwhile, in the women’s 800, the Cardinal took three of the top four spots. Sophomore Olivia Baker won the event with a 2:04.28, while senior Claudia Saunders and junior Malika Waschmann came in third and fourth with 2:04.89 and 2:05.33, respectively. Baker is only the third woman in Stanford’s history to win an MPSF women’s 800 title.
Fifth-year senior Dartis Willis II placed second in the high jump with a 7-0 1/2. In the 20-pound weight throw, junior Valerie Allman reached 62-8 1/2, breaking the school record.
Next up, the Cardinal track and field team will finish its indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Nationals in Alabama on March 11 and 12.
Contact Matthew Bernstein at mbernste ‘at’ stanford.edu.