Track & Field Preview: Sprinters and Hurdlers

Nothing gets the blood going for fans like the sprint events in track & field, and there are faces old and new to follow for Stanford in the upcoming 2007 outdoor season. On the women's side, some top athletes return, though the Cardinal lost a record holder to a hometown transfer. On the men's side, it is a slew of promising freshmen, including two from the football team.

Stanford doesn't have much of a history of sprinters.  Eastman, Questad and Jeffries were world record holders or Olympians, but that's few and far between.  James Lofton was an outstanding 200/400 runner, now in the NFL Hall of Fame.  Now and then comes along a Wopamo Osaisai or a Nick Sebes, to name two recent outstanding sprinters.  Osaisai is not running Track, but Stanford does have some good incoming frosh who could hold their own during this Track season.

On the Women's side, Stanford has had outstanding sprinters in recent years.  Janice Davis returns; Chryste Gaines was an Olympian; and last year's surprise was Chauntae Bayne.  Sadly for Stanford, Bayne transferred back home to Texas, a rival at the national level.  She moved there with her family to be closer to her parents.  Bayne set school records in the 100, 200 and 400 last season and is a tremendous loss.

100-Women

School Record: Chauntae Bayne, 11.15

Janice Davis    SR  11.24
Jackie Bailey   SR  11.47
Griffin Matthew FR  11.49w, 11.56
Alana Waller    SO  12.41

Davis was ranked at a tie for 16th place in the U.S. last year, a potential NCAA placer.  Bailey was about #45 in the U.S.  Matthew was one of the top prep sprinters in the country the past several years.

School Record Holder Chauntae Bayne was #13 in the U.S. but is now at the University of Texas.

400R-Women

School Record: 44.18

Jumper Erica McLain or 400 runner Keisha Gaines will join Davis, Bailey and Matthew on a team that could run sub-45 seconds.

100-Men

School Record: Wopamo Osaisai, 10.39, Larry Questad, 9.3, 100 yards

Ryan Fisicaro  FR  10.67
Mark Mueller   FR  10.70
Danny Belch    FR  10.74
Richard Cairns FR  10.76

An all freshman lineup.  No one will threaten Osaisai's school record, but Stanford does have some depth.  Getting someone into the 10.50 range would be a goal.

Osaisai is sticking with Football for now, as is freshman Tyrone McGraw.

400R-Men

School Record: 39.71

200/400 freshman Zach Chandy will join three of the frosh.

Interesting to note, the top four times in Stanford history had three footballers on the team.  Four of the next five had two, with one team composed of four sprinters who also played football.

200-Women

School Record: Chauntae Bayne, 22.87

Janice Davis    SR     23.09
Griffin Matthew FR     24.00
Jackie Bailey   SR     24.01
Alana Walker    SO     24.75
Keisha Gaines   RS JR  24.79

Davis was #28 in the U.S. last season, with Bailey and Matthew solid runners.  Davis placed in the NCAA's last year and could well do so again.

200-Men

School Record: Larry Questad and James Lofton, 20.74

Zach Chandy  FR  21.19
Mark Mueller FR  21.42
Danny Belch  FR  21.93

Chandy's PR would place him seventh on Stanford's all-time list.  He is one of the best long sprinters ever to enter Stanford.  Mueller's best is from his junior year of high school.

400-Women

School Record: Chauantae Bayne, 52.35

Janice Davis  SR     52.93
Keisha Gaines RS JR  53.83
Idara Otu     SO     55.29

Davis is third all-time but will concentrate on the shorter sprints.  Gaines is sixth on the all-time list, but her best was several years ago.

4X400 Relay-Women

School Record: 3:29.39

Ashley Freeman, an 800 runner, has a best of 53.71 and will drop down to run the relay.  Another 800 runner, Laura Mottaz, will also be a solid relay runner.

400-Men

School Record: Rene Rodriquez, 45.85

Zach Chandy     FR  47.29
Elliot Luscombe SO  48.96
Durell Coleman  FR  49.08i (2007)
Chris Hadley    FR  49.74

Chandy is a tremendous talent and doesn't have far to go to crack Stanford's top 10 list.

4X400Relay-Men

School Record: 3:06.6 (anchored by James Lofton)

800 runners Michael Garcia (46.0 on a relay leg) and Justin Reed (47.9 relay) will help quite a bit here.  There is a strong potential for sub-3:10.

800-Women

School Record: Malindi Elmore, 2:04.35

Ashley Freeman    JR     2:04.82
Alicia Follmar    SO     2:07.59
Arianna Lambie    RS JR  2:08.06
Katy Trotter      SR     2:08.74
Anne St. Geme     FR     2:10.06
Laura Mottaz      RS SO  2:10.21
Claire Cormier    RS SO  2:10.73
Lauren Centrowitz JR     2:10.83
Mary Liz McCurdy  SO     2:10.86

Freeman ranked #28 in the U.S. last season, and several runners here are capable of running close to 2:05.  Lots of depth in this event, although some here will concentrate on longer distances.  Freeman and maybe others, who concentrate on this event, could be NCAA finalists.

800-Men

School Record: Michael Stember, 1:46.20

Michael Garcia   RS JR  1:48.90
Joaquin Chapa    RS JR  1:49.83
Russell Brown    RS JR  1:50.16
Lauren Jesperson RS JR  1:51.73
Justin Reed      FR     1:52.40
Garrett Heath    RS SO  1:52.41

In addition to the above six runners, Stanford has five more in the 1:52 range.  Garcia could be an NCAA finalist this year.  He has a 46.0 relay leg, so he has the speed.  Brown and Heath just ran 3:59 miles, so either could run into the 1:48 range if they drop down.  Should make for an excellent 4x800 relay team.

High Hurdles-Women

School Record: Lindsey Johnson, 13.48

Lauren Stewart   SO  14.28
Deborah Akinniyi JR  14.30
Nora Miller      FR  14.37, 14.10w

This is a very solid group of hurdlers.  Stewart and Akinniyi rank ninth and 10th on the all-time Stanford list.  Frosh Miller is right there with them.  It'll be a solid event, maybe a Pac-10 scorer, but not yet on the national level.

High Hurdles-Men

School Record: John Foster, 13.94, Rick Tipton, 13.7 yards

Myles Bradley   SO 14.36
Josh Hustedt    JR 14.70, 14.57w
Richard Sherman FR 13.99 (39" HS) c14.60
J.J. Jackson    FR 14.57 (39" HS) c15.10

We haven't seen Bradley indoor yet, but last year indoors he tied the school 60m hurdle record.  Hustedt is one of America's rising decathlon performers.  Sherman was in the California State Meet last year in this event, and two others.

Intermediate Hurdles-Women

School Record: Pam Board, 58.31

Idara Otu      So  62.83
Lauren Stewart So  43.01 (HS, 300m)

Getting in the sub-60 second range is the goal, which could make either a Pac-10 qualifier.

Intermediate Hurdles-Men

School Record: Randy White, 50.4

J.J. Johnson FR 38.39 (HS 300m)

Stanford is very thin here with the promising Pickett not returning.  Johnson's high school mark indicates he could get into the 54's.

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