STANFORD, Calif. -- Twenty-six Stanford track and field athletes – 19 women and seven men – plus two women's relay teams have qualified for the NCAA West Prelims, the meet that determines the NCAA Championships field.
The West regional, at University of Arkansas's John McDonnell Field on May 22-25, is one of two in the country, along with another in Lexington, Kentucky. Athletes qualified by achieving the top 48 marks from each half of the country. The exceptions are the relays, in which 24 teams advanced.
The fields were completed Thursday, though medical scratches are being accepted through Monday.
The top 12 in each event advance to the NCAA Championships, creating a 24-participant field. The NCAA Championships, are June 5-8 in Eugene, Oregon.
Ky Robinson, the defending NCAA outdoor champion in the 5,000 and 10,000, will focus on the 5,000 only. He is seeded No. 9 in that event. Robinson is anticipating a busy summer as he attempts to earn selection to the Australian Olympic team.
Top-12 women's seeds are: Roisin Willis (No. 2) and Juliette Whittaker (No. 7) in the 800 and Amy Bunnage (No. 12) in the 5,000. Willis and Whittaker have each won NCAA indoor championships in the 800 and Alyssa Jones, who is seeded No. 16 in the long jump, was the 2023 NCAA outdoor runner-up in that event. Also, Stanford's 4x100 is seeded No. 11 and 4x400 is seeded No. 10.
The most representatives in any event for Stanford is in any event is three in each of the men's 5,000, women's 800, and women's 5,000.
Five true freshmen have advanced: twins Leo (1,500, 5,000) and Lex Young (5,000, 10,000) for the men. The freshmen women are Amy Bunnage (5,000), Sophia Kennedy (5,000), and Abbey Moody (javelin). Bunnage was the 2023 Pac-12 cross-country champion.
Other Stanford first-time qualifiers are Brandy Atuatasi (women's discus), Kaiah Fisher (women's discus), Alaysia Oakes (women's triple jump) Tess Stapleton (women's 200, long jump), and Sam Liokumovich (men's shot put).
The members of the women's 4x100 relay team that recorded its fastest time this season were Stapleton, Cydney Wright, Teagan Zwaanstra, and Jones.
Members of Stanford's fastest women's 4x400 relay team this year were Wright, Maya Valmon, Willis, and Whittaker.
Previous All-Americans (including cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field) to advance are Zofia Dudek, Lucy Jenks, Jones, Samantha Thomas, Valmon, Whittaker, Willis, and Wright for the women. Robinson is the only Stanford male in that category.
The busiest Cardinal should be Wright, who could compete in four events -- the 200, 400, 4x100, and 4x400. Jones and Stapleton would compete in three, if each runs the 4x100.
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Stanford's NCAA West Prelims qualifiers
Women (19 individuals, 23 entrants)
200 – 24, Cydney Wright 23.20; 28, Tess Stapleton 23.34.
400 – 22, Cydney Wright 52.62; 39, Maya Valmon 53.52.
800 – 2, Roisin Willis 2:00.24; 7, Juliette Whittaker 2:01.57; 39, Taylor James 2:06.34.
1,500 – 36, Zofia Dudek 4:20.11; 40, Julia Flynn 4:21.07.
5,000 – 12, Amy Bunnage 15:38.75; 16, Lucy Jenks 15:44.71; 17, Sophia Kennedy 15:46.56.
10,000 – 24, Grace Connolly 33:39.26.
400 hurdles – 36, Samantha Thomas 58.61.
3,000 steeplechase – 33, Riley Stewart 10:22.84.
4x100 relay – 11, Stanford 44.01.
4x400 relay – 10, Stanford 3:32.63.
Long jump – 16, Alyssa Jones 6.49; 30, Tess Stapleton 6.28.
Triple jump – 44, Alaysia Oakes 12.74.
Discus – 35, Kaiah Fisher 53.89; 40, Brandy Atuatasi 52.67.
Javelin – 34, Abbey Moody 48.47.
Men (seven individuals, nine entrants)
1,500 – 36, Leo Young 3:42.53; 40, Thomas Boyden 3:42.65.
5,000 – 9, Ky Robinson 13:35.95; 29, Leo Young 13:46.81; 42, Lex Young 13:49.15.
10,000 – 37, Lex Young 28:50.45.
Long jump – 36, Allan Hunter 7.62.
Triple jump – 15, Kevin Yang 15.75.
Shot put – 16, Sam Liokumovich 18.67.
