This past Sunday, Stanford track and field hosted the Payton Jordan Invitational.
While the Cardinal were quite successful overall, two runners – junior Sean McGorty and sophomore Olivia Baker – shined particularly brightly, setting personal records while posting times below the collegiate standard. McGorty took home seventh in the men’s 5,000 with a time of 13:24.25, while Baker took fourth in the women’s 800 with 2:01.02.
The Payton Jordan is known for encouraging great times among distance runners, but Stanford competitors put up record performances in other events as well. Sophomore decathlete Harrison Williams highlighted his hurdling skills as he won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.88 – a career best and the second best time in school history. The All-American has had a remarkable season, setting a number of personal bests as he climbs higher into the Stanford record books.
On the field, junior Valarie Allman secured a win in the discus with a 193-5, a lifetime best.
Other key events included freshman Grant Fisher’s debut 5,000, which he ran in just 13:39.42, securing his spot as the seventh-fastest junior (a designation for runners 19 and under, not class year) in U.S. history. Junior Vanessa Fraser also set a personal best in the women’s 5,000, as her 15:41.64 placed her in the top 10 in Stanford history.
Overall, the weekend was a success as the Cardinal managed to outdo their own strong performances yet again. Up next, Stanford will travel to Seattle to compete in the Pac-12 Championships.
Contact Olivia Hummer at ohummer ‘at’ stanford.edu.