NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Alex Wilson Invitational is known for its distance medley relays, with schools using the meet to run fast times against top opponents and springboard into the NCAA Championships.
Stanford attempted to do the same thing on Saturday and ran the 10th-fastest men's DMR in school history. But its' time of 9:29.57 placed it ninth and the Cardinal remains out of the running for NCAA's, in which only 12 relay teams qualify. The Cardinal DMR is No. 14.
The Cardinal team of Charles Hicks, Gabriel Navarro, John Lester, and Cole Sprout set a three-second season best while running on the 320-meter Loftus Sports Center track. There will be one more qualifying opportunity, at the inaugural Pac-12 Invitational in Seattle on Feb. 25-26.
The foursome was among eight Stanford competitors at the meet Saturday. There were two Stanford top-10 indoor-list additions or improvements, four season bests, and one personal record – a 1:51.98 in the men's 800 by Nick Feffer.
Sophomore Ellie Deligianni, the only Cardinal woman on the trip, placed second in the 800, running 2:06.97, and was the top Cardinal finisher in any event.
In the men's pole vault, Garrett Brown had only one miss over his first five heights, tying for third at 17-1 (5.21m). The height moved him from No. 10 to No. 8 on Stanford's all-time indoor list and into a tie for third with teammate Max Manson for No. 3 on the school's freshmen list, including indoors and outdoors. Brown took three attempts at a personal best 17-7 (5.36 meters), but to no avail.
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Alex Wilson Invitational
At Loftus Sports Center
(320-meter track)
Winners and all Stanford
Men
200 – 1, Austin Kresley (Iowa) 21.41; 6, Gabriel Navarro (Stanford) 22.11.
800 – 1, Yusuf Bizimana (Texas) 1:47.27; 7, John Lester (Stanford) 1:49.56; 15, Nick Feffer (Stanford) 1:51.98 (PB).
Distance medley relay – 1, Notre Dame 9:21.73; 9, Stanford (Charles Hicks, Gabriel Navarro, John Lester, Cole Sprout) 9:29.57 (No. 10 Stanford AT).
Pole vault – 1, Luke Winder (unat.) 17-11 (5.46m); 3, Garrett Brown (Stanford) 17-1 (5.21m) (No. 8 Stanford AT; No. 3 Stanford frosh); Max Manson (Stanford) NH.
Women
800 – 1, Aziza Ayoub (Ohio State) 2:05.06; 2, Ellie Deligianni (Stanford) 2:06.93.
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
