SEATTLE – Sophomore Alyssa Jones and freshman Amy Bunnage rewrote the Stanford record book on a big night for Cardinal track and field at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Invitational on Friday.
In her first multi-event competition, Jones broke the Stanford record in the pentathlon to add to the three Cardinal records she already owns. Her score of 4,127 points in the five-event, one-day competition allowed Jones, a standout long- and high-jumper, to place second.
Bunnage, an 18-year-old freshman, ran 15:11.68 for 5,000 meters to not only break the Stanford indoor record, but also the Australian under-20 record, including indoors and outdoors. Her time, run on Dempsey Indoor's 307-meter flat track, was the fourth-fastest in collegiate history for all indoor tracks, including oversized tracks like this one.
Bunnage found herself as the only collegian in a front pack of seven. Though the leaders began to pull away, Bunnage kept in contact and continued her torrid pace. She crossed the finish line by destroying teammate Lucy Jenks' two-week-old school indoor record of 15:33.98 set on the same track.
In her first collegiate 5,000, Bunnage broke the Aussie U20 record of 15:18.6 by Eloise Wellings that had stood since 1982 and Bunnage now is No. 15 on the Australian senior absolute 5,000 list. On the Stanford absolute 5,000 list, Bunnage is No. 3, behind only Vanessa Fraser (15:09.62, 2018) and Aisling Cuffe (15:11.13, 2014).
Bunnage moves up to No. 3 on the season NCAA Division I list, which gets her into the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8-9 in Boston. The top 16 in individual events and top 12 in relays advance and this is the last weekend of qualifying. She went into this weekend No. 17 in the 3,000 and therefore needed a fast race on Friday.
And one other record: Bunnage broke the Card freshmen mark of 15:43.05 by classmate Sophia Kennedy at the Husky Classic on February 9.
Jones entered the weekend No. 5 in the long jump and tied for No. 11 in the high jump. But she could have another qualifying opportunity. Considering pentathlon marks going into this weekend, Jones' total would slip in at No. 14.
With her two specialty events – the long jump and high jump – included in the pentathlon, Jones had the chance to put up big points in those events, which she did. She opened with an 8.68 in the 60 hurdles, placing her No. 10 in Stanford indoor history in her debut in that event.
The high jump was next and with her 1,029 points from a 6-0 ½ (1.84m), Jones leaped from fifth to first after two events. After dropping to fourth after the shot put, her 20-9 ¾ (6.34m) in the long jump gave her 956 points and put her into second. She maintained that position by running the 800 in 2:37.81.
Jones broke the school record of 4,063 by Whitney Liehr in 2009, though that still counts as the Cardinal record for regulation 200-meter tracks.
Tess Stapleton had a big night as well. The junior established personal bests in both the 60 hurdles and the long jump, winning the latter in 20-3 (6.17m).
Stapleton unleashed Stanford's fastest 60 hurdles race in 11 years, running 8.31 in the final to place fifth. In four races in that event this season, Stapleton set PB's three times, including an 8.39 in the prelims. Stapleton now is No. 3 in Stanford indoor history.
Cole Sprout won the 3,000 in a season-best 7:49.14, being paced by teammate Ky Robinson for much of the race. Teammate Leo Young was second in 7:54.38 and Lex Young was fourth in 7:55.17, both personal bests that place the twins at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Stanford freshmen performer's list. Leo broke his own school freshmen record of 7:55.36 from the Terrier Classic in Boston on January 26.
The meet continues Saturday, the final day of competition before the NCAA Championships.
* * *
Friday's results
Ken Shannon Last Chance Invitational
At Dempsey Indoor
307-meter flat track
Winners and all Stanford results
Men
200 – 1, Max Thomas (USC) 21.03; 8, Gabriel Ajaegbu (Stanford) 22.33 (PB); 13, Joseph Bailey (Stanford) 23.56.
3,000 – 1, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 7:49.14; 2, Leo Young (Stanford) 7:54.38 (PB; Stanford frosh record); 4, Lex Young (Stanford) 7:55.17 (PB; No. 2 Stanford frosh); 6, Milo Skapinsky (Stanford) 7:59.28; 24, Caleb Boutelle (Stanford) 8:16.39; 29, Callum Sherry (Stanford) 8:20.31; Ky Robinson (Stanford) DNF.
Long jump – 1, Reinaldo Rodrigues (Arizona) 25-7 ½ (7.81m); 5, Allan Hunter (Stanford) 23-6 (7.16m).
Weight throw – 1, Jayden White (Washington) 77-10 (23.73m); 11, Mason McKhann (Stanford) 50-3 (15.32m).
Women
60 – Prelims: 8, Teagan Zwaanstra (Stanford) 7.54; 13, Alaysia Oakes (Stanford) 7.59; 16, Megan Olomu (Stanford) 7.70.
200 – 1, Jassani Carter (USC) 23.61; 10, Samantha Thomas (Stanford) 24.77; 13, Cate Peters (Stanford) 24.99; 14, Sage Hinton (Stanford) 25.03; 17, Megan Olomu (Stanford) 25.41; 18, Camille Peisner (Stanford) 25.48; 20, Trinity Price (Stanford) 25.60.
3,000 – 1, Silan Ayyildiz (Oregon) 8:54.19; 5, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 9:07.28; 19, Audrey DaDamio (Stanford) 9:27.89 (PB); 21, Riley Stewart (Stanford) 9:29.71; 25, Caroline Wells (Stanford) 9:37.52; 37, Amelia Everett (Stanford) 9:59.16 (PB).
5,000 – 1, Susan Ejore (Under Armour Dark Sky) 14:55.35; 6, Amy Bunnage (Stanford) 15:11.68 (PB; School record; Stanford frosh record); 16, Sophia Kennedy (Stanford) 15:56.39; 17, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 15:56.66; 19, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 16:11.17.
60 hurdles – Final: 1, Aaliyah McCormick (Oregon) 8.05; 5, Tess Stapleton (Stanford) 8.31 (PB; No. 3 Stanford AT). Prelims: 5, Tess Stapleton (Stanford) 8.39 (PB; No. 4 Stanford AT); 18, Sky Schuller (Stanford) 9.20 (PB).
Pole vault – 1, Hana Moll (Washington) 14-8 ¼ (4.48m); 12, Sky Schuller (Stanford) 13-2 ¼ (4.02m); 18, Lianne Kistler (Stanford) 12-3 ½ (3.75m); 20, Kelly Kern (Stanford) 12-3 ½ (3.75m).
Long jump – 1, Tess Stapleton (Stanford) 20-3 (6.17m) (PB); 4, Alaysia Oakes (Stanford) 19-4 (5.89m); 7, Teagan Zwaanstra (Stanford) 19-0 ½ (5.80m).
Weight throw – 1, Beatrice Asomaning (Washington) 71-0 (21.65m); 6, Kaiah Fisher (Stanford) 54-3 (16.54m); 9, Brandy Atuatasi (Stanford) 51-11 (15.83m).
Pentathlon – 1, Annika Williams (Oregon) 4,149; 2, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 4,127 (PB; School record).
Jones' results (place in event, mark, points):
60 hurdles: 5, 8.68 (PB; No. 10 Stanford AT), 978 (5th); High jump: 2, 6-0 ½ (1.84m), 1,029 (1st); Shot put: 12, 34-7 ¾ (10.56m) (PB), 566 (4th); Long jump – 1, 20-9 ¾ (6.34m), 956 (2nd); 800 – 12, 2:37.81 (PB), 598 (2nd). Total – 4,127.
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
* * *
Stanford's Saturday schedule
10 a.m.: Men's shot put (Garin Gross).
10 a.m.: Women's triple jump (Alaysia Oakes).
10 a.m.: Men's triple jump (Kevin Yang).
10 a.m.: Men's high jump (James Stevens).
10:45 a.m.: Women's mile (Amelia Everett, Nicola Hogg, Riley Stewart, Hillary Studdert).
11:10 a.m.: Men's mile (Lorenzo Botter, Caleb Boutelle, Thomas Boyden, Ky Robinson, Callum Sherry, Cole Sprout, Galen Topper, Nolan Topper, Leo Young, Lex Young).
11:55 a.m.: Women's 400 (Sage Hinton, Camille Peisner, Trinity Price, Samantha Thomas, Roisin Willis).
Noon: Women's shot put (Brandy Atuatasi, Kaiah Fisher).
Noon: Women's high jump (Alyssa Jones).
12:20 p.m.: Women's 800 (Amelia Everett, Taylor James, Cate Peters, Madison Shults, Hillary Studdert, Juliette Whittaker).
12:35 p.m.: Men's 800 (Lorenzo Botter).
1:40 p.m.: Women's 4x400 relay (Stanford).
