2017 Stanford InvitationalMar 29, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
Five Can't-Miss Women's Races At The Stanford Invitational
Five Can't-Miss Women's Races At The Stanford Invitational
Preview of the women's track events at the 2017 Stanford Invitational
It's officially outdoor track season when you have a plane ticket to Palo Alto, California. The first Stanford University home meet is on tap this weekend with a slew of big names ready to roll. Read on for our picks on the top women's races at the Stanford Invitational, and watch the action live on Flotrack on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1.
Who: Karissa Schweizer, Katherine Receveur, Judy Pendergast, Brenna Peloquin, Sam Nadel, Amy-Eliose Neale, Maggie Montoya, Kendra Foley, Molly Grabill
When: Friday, 8:49 PM PT
Why: Karissa Schweizer has made things look pretty easy lately -- the junior at the University of Missouri won the NCAA XC and indoor 5K titles by sitting and kicking past Michigan's Erin Finn and Notre Dame's Anna Rohrer in nearly identical races. However, Schweizer is not entirely untouchable as Colorado's Dani Jones narrowly beat her out for the NCAA 3K title. This field features a few new faces who could either show us that Schweizer is the NCAA's undisputed queen of the 5K or that there's a new top title contender.
Indiana sophomore Katherine Receveur enters this race with something to prove; she's the Big Ten champion and drastically dropped her PB from 16:51.63 to 15:28.89 over the past calendar year but opted for the 3K at NCAA Indoors and took just sixth place in the kicker's race. She also tragically dropped the baton in her team's DMR pursuit on day one in College Station, Texas. She's got a lot more fight left in the tank.
Amy-Eloise Neale has primarily been a miler during her college career so far at Washington, but she'll make her 5K debut at Stanford. Considering that her eighth-place finish in Terre Haute, Indiana, last fall is her best-ever finish at NCAAs, the jump up in distance is likely a good choice. Neale has run 4:34.15 for the mile and 9:17.97 for 3K.
If two-time NCAA DII cross country champion Kendra Foley of Grand Valley State can keep pace with the top pack, she could challenge the DII record. Neely Gracey (neé Spence) ran 15:33.83 for the record in 2011.
Watch Karissa Schweizer close in 65 seconds to win the 2017 NCAA Indoor 5K title:
Who: Anna Rohrer, Kellyn Taylor, Sharon Lokedi, Stephanie Bruce, Eilish McColgan, Charlotte Taylor, Amy Regan, Jordan McDermitt, Bethan Knights, Maggie Schmaedick
When: Friday, 9:24 PM PT
Why: A diverse group of collegiate and post-collegiate athletes will compete in the evening's fastest 10K section on Friday night. HOKA ONE ONE NAZ Elite teammates Stephanie Bruce and Kellyn Taylor plan to take the field out in 15:55 or faster through 5K, which would project a finish time of 31:50 -- well under the Worlds standard of 32:15, which both women have but many in the field do not. Bruce is fresh off a 22nd-place finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Uganda, while Taylor is prepping for the London Marathon.
Two-time Olympian Eilish McColgan of Great Britain, this year's European Indoor bronze medalist at 3K, will make her track debut at 10K. She ran 32:01 on the road to win in Doha, Qatar, this January.
Another notable debut is Notre Dame sophomore Anna Rohrer, a four-time All-American who placed third at NCAA XC and the 2017 NCAA indoor 5K. She has looked forward to competing in the 10K since her senior year of high school, when she watched future teammate Molly Seidel win NCAAs in a historic run for the Fighting Irish.
Six-time NCAA DIII champion Amy Regan of Stevens Institute could potentially challenge the DIII record of 33:21.8, set by Mary Proulx in 2003. Regan currently ranks No. 8 all-time in DIII history with her time of 34:09.44 from the Penn Relays last year, her only recorded effort at 10K.
Watch Stephanie Bruce's pre-World XC workout:
Who: Allie Ostrander, Rachel Schilkowsky, Brianna Nerud, Hannah Waggoner, Regan Ward, Courtney Wayment
When: Friday, 5:56 PM PT
Why: The return of Allie O! We haven't seen Boise State's redshirt freshman race in nearly eight months, since she mounted an unbelievable comeback from being injured to an eighth-place, sub-15:30 showing in the Olympic Trials 5K final. She was originally listed here in the 5K, but heat sheets released today reveal she'll make her career debut in the steeplechase.
Her biggest competition might come from Cornell alumnae Rachel Schilkowsky, a five-time all-American with PBs of 9:43.48 for the 3K steeple and 15:53 for 5K.
Who: Katie Rainsberger, Christina Aragon, Savannah Camacho, Ella Donaghu, Dominique Jackson, Sarah Walker, Alisha Brown, Therese Haiss, Nikki Hiltz
When: Saturday, 2:35 PM PT
Why: There's a good chance someone else entirely will win the whole race, but I'm pumped to see a stud freshman matchup between Oregon's Katie Rainsberger and Stanford's Christina Aragon. Rainsberger has the stronger NCAA resume right as she was fourth at NCAA XC compared to Aragon's 38th-place finish, plus was third in both the 3K and DMR at NCAA Indoors. She also beat Aragon in every head-to-head race during the cross country season. However, Aragon redshirted indoors and never lost to Rainsberger at a distance less than a mile while in high school. Both women's PRs date back to their junior years of high school; 2:04.0 for Aragon and 2:08.87 for Rainsberger. The Cardinal is also debuting two more fast first years: Ella Donaghu, who has run 4:14 for 1500m, and Sarah Walker, who ran 2:03.7 as a high school junior. Why isn't the 4x800m an NCAA Championship event?!
Speaking of loaded squads, the Razorbacks have entered their mid-d 1-2 punch of Therese Haiss and Nikki Hiltz, who pushed each other to All-American finishes in the mile at NCAA Indoors.
Big threats to win the whole shebang are Savanna Camacho of Oklahoma State, a four-time All-American at 800m who ran her PR of 2:02.84 in 2014, plus Oiselle's Dominique Jackson and Alisha Brown, who ran 2:02 and 2:03, respectively, last year. Jackson won her outdoor debut over Brown, 2:05 to 2:09, at the Sacramento State Hornet Invitational two weeks ago.
Watch Christina Aragon set her 800m PR of 2:04.0 as a junior in high school at the 2015 Brooks PR Invitational:
Who: Claudia Lane
When: Saturday, 11:40 AM PT
Why: Claudia Lane went from unknown to superstar this fall when she improved from a 19-minute 5K runner to the Foot Locker Nationals champion. The sophomore from Malibu High looks poised for another breakthrough season this spring as she ran a 10:12.21 solo 3200m at the New Balance Azusa Meet of Champions last weekend. That time leads all high school girls in the nation so far by 11 seconds and is a 48-second improvement from last year. Lane's true talent may lie in the longer distances, but Stanford will be a fun test for her wheels. She'll be pushed by seniors Meredith Corda and Erica Schroeder, both of whom ran 4:49 for 1600m last year. Lane set her 1600m PR of 4:53.23 earlier this season in another solo run.
Watch Claudia Lane win the 2016 Foot Locker Nationals title:
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Women's 5K
Who: Karissa Schweizer, Katherine Receveur, Judy Pendergast, Brenna Peloquin, Sam Nadel, Amy-Eliose Neale, Maggie Montoya, Kendra Foley, Molly Grabill
When: Friday, 8:49 PM PT
Why: Karissa Schweizer has made things look pretty easy lately -- the junior at the University of Missouri won the NCAA XC and indoor 5K titles by sitting and kicking past Michigan's Erin Finn and Notre Dame's Anna Rohrer in nearly identical races. However, Schweizer is not entirely untouchable as Colorado's Dani Jones narrowly beat her out for the NCAA 3K title. This field features a few new faces who could either show us that Schweizer is the NCAA's undisputed queen of the 5K or that there's a new top title contender.
Indiana sophomore Katherine Receveur enters this race with something to prove; she's the Big Ten champion and drastically dropped her PB from 16:51.63 to 15:28.89 over the past calendar year but opted for the 3K at NCAA Indoors and took just sixth place in the kicker's race. She also tragically dropped the baton in her team's DMR pursuit on day one in College Station, Texas. She's got a lot more fight left in the tank.
Amy-Eloise Neale has primarily been a miler during her college career so far at Washington, but she'll make her 5K debut at Stanford. Considering that her eighth-place finish in Terre Haute, Indiana, last fall is her best-ever finish at NCAAs, the jump up in distance is likely a good choice. Neale has run 4:34.15 for the mile and 9:17.97 for 3K.
If two-time NCAA DII cross country champion Kendra Foley of Grand Valley State can keep pace with the top pack, she could challenge the DII record. Neely Gracey (neé Spence) ran 15:33.83 for the record in 2011.
Watch Karissa Schweizer close in 65 seconds to win the 2017 NCAA Indoor 5K title:
Women's 10K
Who: Anna Rohrer, Kellyn Taylor, Sharon Lokedi, Stephanie Bruce, Eilish McColgan, Charlotte Taylor, Amy Regan, Jordan McDermitt, Bethan Knights, Maggie Schmaedick
When: Friday, 9:24 PM PT
Why: A diverse group of collegiate and post-collegiate athletes will compete in the evening's fastest 10K section on Friday night. HOKA ONE ONE NAZ Elite teammates Stephanie Bruce and Kellyn Taylor plan to take the field out in 15:55 or faster through 5K, which would project a finish time of 31:50 -- well under the Worlds standard of 32:15, which both women have but many in the field do not. Bruce is fresh off a 22nd-place finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Uganda, while Taylor is prepping for the London Marathon.
Two-time Olympian Eilish McColgan of Great Britain, this year's European Indoor bronze medalist at 3K, will make her track debut at 10K. She ran 32:01 on the road to win in Doha, Qatar, this January.
Another notable debut is Notre Dame sophomore Anna Rohrer, a four-time All-American who placed third at NCAA XC and the 2017 NCAA indoor 5K. She has looked forward to competing in the 10K since her senior year of high school, when she watched future teammate Molly Seidel win NCAAs in a historic run for the Fighting Irish.
Six-time NCAA DIII champion Amy Regan of Stevens Institute could potentially challenge the DIII record of 33:21.8, set by Mary Proulx in 2003. Regan currently ranks No. 8 all-time in DIII history with her time of 34:09.44 from the Penn Relays last year, her only recorded effort at 10K.
Watch Stephanie Bruce's pre-World XC workout:
Women's 3K Steeplechase
Who: Allie Ostrander, Rachel Schilkowsky, Brianna Nerud, Hannah Waggoner, Regan Ward, Courtney Wayment
When: Friday, 5:56 PM PT
Why: The return of Allie O! We haven't seen Boise State's redshirt freshman race in nearly eight months, since she mounted an unbelievable comeback from being injured to an eighth-place, sub-15:30 showing in the Olympic Trials 5K final. She was originally listed here in the 5K, but heat sheets released today reveal she'll make her career debut in the steeplechase.
Her biggest competition might come from Cornell alumnae Rachel Schilkowsky, a five-time all-American with PBs of 9:43.48 for the 3K steeple and 15:53 for 5K.
Women's 800m
Who: Katie Rainsberger, Christina Aragon, Savannah Camacho, Ella Donaghu, Dominique Jackson, Sarah Walker, Alisha Brown, Therese Haiss, Nikki Hiltz
When: Saturday, 2:35 PM PT
Why: There's a good chance someone else entirely will win the whole race, but I'm pumped to see a stud freshman matchup between Oregon's Katie Rainsberger and Stanford's Christina Aragon. Rainsberger has the stronger NCAA resume right as she was fourth at NCAA XC compared to Aragon's 38th-place finish, plus was third in both the 3K and DMR at NCAA Indoors. She also beat Aragon in every head-to-head race during the cross country season. However, Aragon redshirted indoors and never lost to Rainsberger at a distance less than a mile while in high school. Both women's PRs date back to their junior years of high school; 2:04.0 for Aragon and 2:08.87 for Rainsberger. The Cardinal is also debuting two more fast first years: Ella Donaghu, who has run 4:14 for 1500m, and Sarah Walker, who ran 2:03.7 as a high school junior. Why isn't the 4x800m an NCAA Championship event?!
Speaking of loaded squads, the Razorbacks have entered their mid-d 1-2 punch of Therese Haiss and Nikki Hiltz, who pushed each other to All-American finishes in the mile at NCAA Indoors.
Big threats to win the whole shebang are Savanna Camacho of Oklahoma State, a four-time All-American at 800m who ran her PR of 2:02.84 in 2014, plus Oiselle's Dominique Jackson and Alisha Brown, who ran 2:02 and 2:03, respectively, last year. Jackson won her outdoor debut over Brown, 2:05 to 2:09, at the Sacramento State Hornet Invitational two weeks ago.
Watch Christina Aragon set her 800m PR of 2:04.0 as a junior in high school at the 2015 Brooks PR Invitational:
Girls' Mile
Who: Claudia Lane
When: Saturday, 11:40 AM PT
Why: Claudia Lane went from unknown to superstar this fall when she improved from a 19-minute 5K runner to the Foot Locker Nationals champion. The sophomore from Malibu High looks poised for another breakthrough season this spring as she ran a 10:12.21 solo 3200m at the New Balance Azusa Meet of Champions last weekend. That time leads all high school girls in the nation so far by 11 seconds and is a 48-second improvement from last year. Lane's true talent may lie in the longer distances, but Stanford will be a fun test for her wheels. She'll be pushed by seniors Meredith Corda and Erica Schroeder, both of whom ran 4:49 for 1600m last year. Lane set her 1600m PR of 4:53.23 earlier this season in another solo run.
Watch Claudia Lane win the 2016 Foot Locker Nationals title:
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Archived Competition Footage
Video footage from the competition will be archived and stored in a video library for FloPRO subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.