AUSTIN, Texas – Stanford freshman Alyssa Jones broke the U.S. under-20 and Pac-12 women's long jump records on Thursday night at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships while placing second in a spirited battle at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Jones crushed her own school record with a leap of 22-6 ¼ (6.86 meters) on her fourth attempt to seize the lead, only for Ackelia Smith of Texas to go 22-7 (6.88m) and win on her sixth and final jump.
Stanford's women got their first points of the meet from Jones (eight) and will have two athletes competing Saturday's finals – Roisin Willis in the 800 and Lucy Jenks in the 5,000. Willis won her semifinal on Thursday.
The under-20 record was a goal for Jones, 19. She broke the mark of 22-5 (6.83) set by Kate Hall in 1997. The Pac-12 record was 22-5 ¼ (6.84) by Oregon's Jasmine Todd in 2015, and the Stanford record was Jones' own, with her best wind-legal distance of 22-1 ½ (6.74) from her Pac-12 victory on May 13. And good luck to future Cardinal seeking to break Jones' new freshman record. It may be a while.
Jones is now No. 8 on the all-time world under-20 list and No. 12 on the all-time collegiate outdoor list.
As for the competition itself, Jones took the lead or extended it three times. Her first jump of 20-8 ½ (6.31) put her in front, but it was short-lived. Five jumpers later, Florida's Claire Bryant uncorked an opening-round 20-10 ¾ (6.37).
Florida's Jasmine Moore moved in front in the second round, jumping 21-2 ½ (6.46). But Jones again bolted into the front, jumping 21-10 ¾ (6.67) on her third attempt and extending her lead with a 22-6 ¼ (6.86) on her fourth.
Smith had closed to within two inches of Jones in the fifth round and then passed her in the sixth. Jones had more try to answer back, but fouled.
"I feel pretty good about it," Jones said. "Definitely the under-20 record was a big goal," Jones said. "I'd been eyeing it since high school. So, coming out here and being able to break it … And second place, it's my freshman year, I'm very happy with that."
Jones is the first from Stanford to finish as high in that event since Arantxa King was runner-up in 2010. Jackie Edwards remains Stanford's only women's long jump champion, which also happened in Austin, in 1992.
Roisin Willis. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
Willis becomes Stanford's first outdoor 800 finalist since Olivia Baker was fifth in 2018. Willis led from start to finish in the second semifinal, with teammate Taylor James, a redshirt freshman in her first NCAA meet, following Willis for the first lap. Willis was challenged a couple of times, but never relinquished the lead and won the semi in 2:02.04, with James seventh in 2:06.25 and 20th overall.
Stanford competed in both relays at the NCAA meet for the first time since 2004, and both earned second-team All-America honors. In the 4x400, the team of Cydney Wright, Juliette Whittaker, Alexa Rossum, and Maya Valmon ran 3:30.98 for the third-fastest time in school history.
The Cardinal placed fifth in their semifinal and 14th overall. Only the top two in each of the three semifinals, plus the next three fastest times advance to the final. It was Stanford's first NCAA outdoor 4x400 team in five years.
Valmon closed in 51.36 – the second-fastest anchor split in her heat.
Maya Valmon. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
In the 4x100 relay, the Stanford team of Wright, Jones, Valmon, and Rossum placed fifth in the third and final semifinal, running 43.77 and placing 16th overall. It was the second-fastest time in school history, behind only the 43.69 the same group ran at the NCAA West Prelims two weeks ago.
This was the first NCAA women's 4x100 appearance for Stanford since 2012 and was the fastest the Cardinal ever has run at the NCAA Championships, bettering the 44.07 that (Shataya Hendricks, Carissa Levingston, Katie Nelms, Kori Carter ran in 2012.
The most perilous part of the race came on the first handoff as Wright and Jones missed on their first attempt at the exchange and Wright, while on the run, seemed to grab Jones' hand and physically wrap it around the baton.
The quartet, all expected back next season, earned second-team All-America honors, with Wright becoming an All-American for the first time.
Next are the men's finals on Friday. Udodi Onwuzurike competes in the 100 and 200, and Ky Robinson and Charles Hicks – the 1-2 finishers in the 10,000 on Wednesday -- run the 5,000.
Alyssa Jones. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
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NCAA Outdoor Championships
At Mike A. Myers Stadium
Stanford and other winners
Women
Team leaders (6 of 21 events scored) – 1, Nebraska 25; 2, Oregon 17; 3, Florida 15; 4, Texas A&M 14; 5 (tie), Alabama, Virginia Tech, each 11; 12, Stanford 8.
800 semifinals – 8, Roisin Willis (Stanford) 2:02.04Q; 20, Taylor James (Stanford) 2:06.25.
4x100 semifinals – 16, Stanford (Cydney Wright, Alyssa Jones, Maya Valmon, Alexa Rossum) 43.77 (No. 2 Stanford AT).
4x400 semifinals – 14, Stanford (Cydney Wright, Juliette Whittaker, Alexa Rossum, Maya Valmon) 3:30.98 (No. 3 Stanford AT).
Long jump final – 1, Ackelia Smith (Texas) 22-7 (6.88m); 2, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 22-6 ¼ (6.86m) (PB; Stanford record; Pac-12 record; U.S. under-20 record).
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Stanford's Schedule
Friday
6:52 p.m. PT (8:52 p.m. CT): Men's 100 final – Udodi Onwuzurike.
7:37 p.m. PT (9:37 p.m. CT): Men's 200 final – Udodi Onwuzurike.
7:55 p.m. PT (9:55 p.m. CT): Men's 5,000 final – Charles Hicks, Ky Robinson.
Saturday
7:14 p.m. PT (9:14 p.m. CT): Women's 800 final – Roisin Willis.
7:55 p.m. PT (9:55 p.m. CT): Women's 5,000 final – Lucy Jenks.