VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Stanford’s Roisin Willis placed third in the women’s 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, highlighting the final day of competition for the Cardinal at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
Stanford finished 13th as a team with 16. The total matched last year’s, though the Cardinal placed two spots higher this year. Stanford was the highest-placing women’s team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, with Clemson (11 points) next, in 20th.
Four Cardinal women competed Saturday. Sophomores Sophia Kennedy and Amy Bunnage placed ninth (9:04.07) and 14th (9:11.87), respectively in the 3,000, and junior Alyssa Jones was 15th in the high jump (5-8 3/4, 1.75).
Willis, a junior majoring in history, earned her fourth NCAA podium (top four) finish in the 800, including indoors and outdoors. She was the 2023 NCAA indoor champ, but did not make the final in 2024.
Willis was in mid-pack when leader Makayla Paige of North Carolina stumbled and nearly went down, which could have taken out a number of runners. Paige, though, regained her balance and maintained the lead.
Willis moved up to third at the 400, coming through in 59.08. At the bell, Willis found herself still in third, but with a gap to make up on Paige and Harvard’s Victoria Bossong. Willis pushed on the backstretch to close it and continued to work her arms on the final curve, but ultimately finished just 0.07 from Bossong in second. Willis’ final 200 was 30.73.
In the 3,000, Bunnage, who limped off the track while leading the 5,000 on Friday, was on the starting line and assumed the lead from 1,000 to 2,000 meters. Bunnage stepped on the rail and stumbled briefly, then dropped back while Kennedy moved up from the back of the pack.
Kennedy improved two spots over the final 400 to place ninth, closing in with a final 400 of 1:04.65 and last 200 of 31.45. Kennedy missed a scoring position by one place. After finishing fifth in the 5,000 on Friday, Kennedy fell just short of being the first Stanford woman to score in both the 3,000 and 5,000 since Aisling Cuffe in 2014.
Kennedy, Bunnage, and Jones, each earned second-team All-America honors. This was the first track and field All-America honor for Bunnage.
Jones, third in the long jump on Friday, earned her seventh overall All-America distinction, but labored from the opening height (5-8 ¾, 1.74), which she cleared on her third try. Jones had three attempts at 5-10 ¾ (1.80) without success.
NCAA Indoor Championships
At Virginia Beach Sports Center
(200-meter banked track)
Saturday’s results
Women
Final team leaders – 1, Oregon 55; 2, Georgia 39; 3, USC 35; 4 (tie), Oklahoma, Washington, Arkansas 31; 7, Texas A&M 27; 8, Illinois 25.5; 9, BYU 24; 10, Texas Tech 21.5; 11 (tie), Harvard, Alabama 18; 13, Stanford 16.
800 – 1, Makayla Paige (North Carolina) 2:00.39; 3, Roisin Willis (Stanford) 2:01.00.
High jump – 1, Elena Kulichenko (Georgia) 6-4 ¾ (1.94); 15, Alyssa Jones (Stanford) 5-8 ¾ (1.75).
3,000 – 1, Ceili McCabe (West Virginia) 9:01.18; 9, Sophia Kennedy (Stanford) 9:04.07; 14, Amy Bunnage (Stanford) 9:11.87.
Stanford All-Americans
Women
First team – Alyssa Jones (long jump), Sophia Kennedy (5,000), Roisin Willis (800).
Second team – Amy Bunnage (3,000), Zofia Dudek (DMR), Amelia Everett (DMR), Sage Hinton (DMR), Alyssa Jones (high jump), Sophia Kennedy (3,000), Audrey Suarez (DMR).