BERKELEY, Calif. – Gabriel Navarro and Charles Hicks won two individual events each to help rally the Stanford men to victory in the 126th Big Meet track and field dual against California on Saturday.
Stanford trailed by 17 points with six events to go before earning an 85-75 men's victory and its third consecutive victory at Edwards Stadium. The Card women led briefly after the javelin, the third event, but otherwise played catchup in an 88-74 loss that ended a four-season winning streak in the series.
The 1-2-3 finish in the women's javelin by Virginia Miller (165-5, 50.42 meters), Brielle Smith (156-11, 47.84m), and Jordan Fong (116-9, 35.60m) extended a Stanford Big Meet winning streak in that event to 18. Miller becomes the sixth different individual winner during that stretch, following Erin Merriman (2003-04), Danielle Maier (2005-08), Brianna Bain (2012-14), Victoria Smith (2015), and Mackenzie Little (2016-19).
Eighteen straight Stanford Big Meet wins in women's javelin. Clockwise from top left: Brielle Smith, coach Jen Svoboda, Virginia Miller, Jordan Fong. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
This is the final scheduled meet for the Cardinal before the postseason begins with the Pac-12 Championships on May 14-16 at USC. Typically, this meet occurs in early April, but as a qualifier for the NCAA West Prelims, which takes 48 in each event in each half of the country, a few Cardinal helped themselves.
Freshman Ellie Deligianni strengthened her caused in leading a 1-2-3 Stanford sweep of the 800, during which each of those runners –Christina Aragon, then Kaitlin Ryan, and finally Deligianni – led during a hard-fought final lap. Deligianni's 2:06.20, led Aragon in 2:06.88 and Ryan in 2:07.25. All three ran season bests.
Alexa Rossum, a redshirt freshman, was another who helped herself, bettering her lifetime bests in the 100 and 200, though both were wind-aided. Rossum won the 100 in 11.29 (2.7 meters per second wind) and was a close second in the 200 in 23.41 (2.1 mps). Both times count in the national rankings list.
Navarro also captured the 100 (10.49, 3.3 mps wind) and 200 (21.08, wind-legal 2.0 mps), and ran the second leg on the winning 4x100 team. A shaky handoff to anchor Andrew Franco put the Cardinal a couple of steps behind, but a determined Franco caught Cal's Mason Mangum at the line to win by 0.001. Stanford was clocked in 40.483 and Cal in 40.484.
Hicks, more attuned to the 10,000, held off the kick of Cal's Garrett MacQuiddy to win the 1,500 in a lifetime best of 3:43.59. He followed by leading a 1-7 Cardinal finish of the 3,000 – the Big Meet's longest race – in 8:02.41, another personal best.
Cardinal dominance: Charles Hicks leads Stanford to the top seven places in the 3,000. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
The Stanford men fell behind 17-1 after the first two events and trailed by as much as 48-28 after nine of the 19 events. Down 69-52 with five events left, Stanford outscored Cal, 33-1, to not only overtake the Golden Bears, but to clinch the meet with an event to spare. Those points came in the pole vault, 200, triple jump, and 3,000.
Stanford's only lead in the women's competition was 14-13. Cal built its lead to 57-27 after sweeping the 400 and later clinched the meet with a first and third in the discus, the 17th event to finish.
Stanford followed by winning the 3,000 easily by finishing four across in a ceremonial four-person tie among Grace Connolly, Ella Donaghu, Lucy Jenks, and Jessica Lawson, though Lawson was awarded the victory.
In the 800, 1,500, and 3,000, Stanford's men and women combined to outscore Cal, 51-3, including 27-0 by the Card women.
This was the first Big Meet for second-year head coach J.J. Clark, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field.
Alexa Rossum. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
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Big Meet
At Edwards Stadium, Berkeley
Men
Team scores – Stanford 85, Cal 75
100 – 1, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 10.49w; 2, Christian Catlin (Cal) 10.54w; 3, George Monroe (Cal) 10.65w.
200 – 1, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 21.08; 2, Andrew Franco (Stanford) 21.34; 3, Christian Catlin (Cal) 21.43; 4, Miles Zoltak (Stanford) 21.48; 7, Karson Lippert (Stanford) 22.03.
400 – 1, Henry Larkin (Cal) 47.00; 2, Miles Zoltak (Stanford) 47.19 (PB); 3, Andrew Franco (Stanford) 48.13.
800 – 1, Miles Smith (Stanford) 1:51.03; 2, Brandon McGorty (Stanford) 1:51.41; 3, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 1:51.79 (PB); 6, Liam Conway (Stanford) 1:58.07.
1,500 – 1, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 3:43.59 (PB); 2, Garrett MacQuiddy (Cal) 3:43.64; 3, Alek Parsons (Stanford) 3:45.19 (PB); 4, Thomas Boyden (Stanford) 3:45.85 (PB); 5, Callum Bolger (Stanford) 3:47.00; 6, Devin Hart (Stanford) 3:49.64 (PB); 7, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (Stanford) 3:50.32 (PB); 8, DJ Principe (Stanford) 3:54.35; 10, Liam Conway (Stanford) 3:56.44.
3,000 – 1, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 8:02.41 (PB); 2, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 8:03.26 (PB); 3, Callum Bolger (Stanford) 8:03.43 (PB); 4, Alek Parsons (Stanford) 8:05.02 (PB); 5, Thomas Boyden (Stanford) 8:07.02 (PB); 6, Devin Hart (Stanford) 8:08.11; 7, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 8:12.70 (PB).
3,000 steeplechase – 1, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 9:11.35; 2, Shane Bissell (Cal) 10:20.76.
110 hurdles – 1, Riley Hunt (Cal) 14.46w; 2, Jack Herkert (Stanford) 14.60w; 3, Mason Mangum (Cal) 15.26w.
400 hurdles – 1, Bobby Wood (Stanford) 53.43 (PB); 2, Mason Mangum (Cal) 53.44; 3, Riley Hunt (Cal) 56.19; 4, Jack Herkert (Stanford) 59.31 (PB).
4x100 relay – 1, Stanford (Dorien Simon, Gabriel Navarro, Miles Zoltak, Andrew Franco) 40.49; 2, Cal 40.49.
4x400 relay – 1, Cal 3:13.40; 2, Stanford (Miles Zoltak, Gabriel Navarro, Andrew Franco, Brandon McGorty) 3:13.83.
High jump – 1, Jai Williams (Cal) 6-5 (1.96m); 2, James Stevens (Stanford) 6-3 ¼ (1.91m); 3, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 5-11 ¼ (1.81m).
Pole vault – 1, J.T. Herrscher (Stanford) 17-1 (5.21m); 2, Max Manson (Stanford) 16-1 ¼ (4.91m).
Long jump – 1, Kamau Carlisle (Cal) 24-3w (7.39m); 2, Sanjay Kettels (Cal) 23-10 1/4w (7.27m); 3, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 23-8w (7.21m); 4, Keyshawn King (Stanford) 22-2 ¼w (6.76m), 21-11 ½ (6.69m); 5, Kevin Yang (Stanford) 21-2w (6.45m).
Triple jump – 1, Jerry Zheng (Stanford) 46-11 ¾ (14.32m); 2, Kevin Yang (Stanford) 45-1 ½w (13.75m); Keyshawn King (Stanford) F.
Shot put – 1, Josh Johnson (Cal) 62-33/4 (18.99m); 2, Jeff Duensing (Cal) 58-4 (17.78m); 3, Iffy Joyner (Cal) 52-2 ½ (15.91m).
Discus – 1, Iffy Joyner (Cal) 193-5 (58.96m); 2, Josh Johnson (Cal) 180-11 (55.15m); 3, Max McKhann (152-10, 46.59m); 6, Mason McKhann (Stanford) 125-2 (38.17m).
Hammer – 1, Ivan Moisander (Cal) 206-9 (63.02m); 2, Michael Gupta (Cal) 192-10 (58.79m); 3, Max McKhann (Stanford) 191-10 (58.48m); 4, Mason McKhann (Stanford) 168-7 (51.40m).
Javelin – 1, Ivar Moisander (Cal) 152-1 (46.37m); 2, Max McKhann (Stanford) 142-4 (43.38m); 4, Mason McKhann (Stanford) 123-11 (37.77m).
Women
Team scores – Cal 88, Stanford 74.
100 – 1, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 11.29w; 2, Ezinne Abba (Cal) 11.42w; 3, Maisie Stevens (Cal) 11.45w; 4, Kennedy Gamble (Stanford) 11.66w.
200 – 1, Deshae Wise (Cal) 23.33w; 2, Alexa Rossum (Stanford) 23.41w; 3, Ezinne Abba (Cal) 23.62w; 5, Kennedy Gamble (Stanford) 24.80w.
400 – 1, Adaeze Noble (Cal) 56.54; 2, Ryan Lacefield (Cal) 56.69; 3, Christina Taylor (Cal) 59.28.
800 – 1, Ellie Deligianni (Stanford) 2:06.77; 2, Christian Aragon (Stanford) 2:06.88; 3, Kaitlin Ryan (Stanford) 2:07.25; 5, Morgan Foster (Stanford) 2:09.88; 6, Tori Starcher (Stanford) 2:13.54; 7, Sarah Walker (Stanford) 2:13.58.
1,500 – 1, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 4:21.36; 2, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 4:21.53; 3, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 4:23.88 (PB); 4, Lily Flynn (Stanford) 4:28.42; 7, Alex Stout (Stanford) 5:01.23.
3,000 – 1, Jessica Lawson (Stanford) 10:00.14; 2, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 10:00.23 (PB); 3, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 10:00.23; 4, Ella Donaghu (Stanford) 10:00.26.
3,000 steeplechase – 1, Annie Boos (Cal) 10:31.12; 2, Margie Cullen (Cal) 10:40.99.
100 hurdles – 1, Deshae Wise (Cal) 13.23w; 2, Allie Jones (Stanford) 13.54w; 3, Sonia Redon (Cal) 13.96w.
400 hurdles – 1, Samantha Thomas (Stanford) 1:01.20 (PB); 2, Thea Moellerstedt (Cal) 1:03.44; 3, Sonia Redon (Cal) 1:10.28.
4x100 relay – 1, Cal 44.59; 2, Stanford (Allie Jones, Alexa Rossum, Kennedy Gamble, Yinka Braimah) 46.38.
4x400 relay – 1, Cal 3:43.67; 2, Stanford (Samantha Thomas, Ellie Deligianni, Kaitlin Ryan, Sarah Walker) 3:46.70.
Pole vault – 1, Amari Turner (Cal) 12-9 (3.89m); 2, Laurel Wong (Stanford) 12-3 ¼ (3.74m); 3, Erika Malaspina (Stanford) 12-3 ¼ (3.74m).
High jump – 1, Hawa Wague (Cal) 5-9 ¾ (1.77m); 2, Allie Jones (Stanford) 5-5 ¾ (1.67m); 3, Tierni Kaufman (Cal) 4-11 ¾ (1.52m).
Long jump – 1, Allie Jones (Stanford) 19-7 1/2w (5.98m), 18-11 ¼ (5.77m); 2, Sydney Reid (Cal) 19-0 ¾ (5.81m); 3, Asha Fletcher (Cal) 19-0 ¾ (5.81m); 4, Aria Small (Stanford) 18-5 ¼ (5.62m).
Triple jump – 1, Asha Fletcher (Cal) 43-6 (13.26m); 2, Aria Small (Stanford) 40-1 ½w (12.23m), 38-9 ¾ (11.83m); 3, Busola Akinduro (Cal) 40-0 ½w (12.20m).
Shot put – 1, Kristin Smoot (Cal) 47-5 ¼ (14.46m); 2, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 43-11 ¼ (13.39m) (PB): 3, Jaimi Salone (Stanford) 42-0 ½ (12.81m).
Discus – 1, Kristin Smoot (Cal) 168-2 (51.26m); 2, Jaimi Salone (Stanford) 165-9 (50.52m); 3, Jasmine Blair (Cal) 163-7 (49.88m); 4, Jordan Fong (Cal) 137-10 (42.03m).
Hammer – 1, Camryn Rogers (Cal) 234-2 (71.39m) (meet record); 2, Anna Purchase (Cal) 201-10 (61.52m); 3, Jasmine Blair (Cal) 187-8 (57.21m); 4, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 180-5 (55.01m).
Javelin – 1, Virginia Miller (Stanford) 165-5 (50.42m); 2, Brielle Smith (Stanford) 156-11 (47.84m); 3, Jordan Fong (Stanford) 116-9 (35.60m) (PB).
Allie Jones. Photo by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com.
Main photo: Gabriel Navarro. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.