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Twenty-Eight Advance to Prelims

May 20, 2021

STANFORD, Calif. – Twenty-eight Stanford track and field athletes – 14 women and 14 men -- have qualified for the NCAA West Prelims, the meet that determines the NCAA Championships field.

The West regional, in College Station, Texas, on May 26-29, is one of two in the country, along with another in Jacksonville, Florida. 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 top 24 in the multi-events – including Stanford heptathlete Allie Jones -- advance directly to the NCAA Championships, June 9-12 in Eugene, Oregon.

Top-12 women's seeds for Stanford are: Ella Donaghu (No. 2, 5,000; No. 11, 1,500), Julia Heymach (No. 9, 5,000), Alexa Rossum (No. 9, 100), and Virginia Miller (No. 11, javelin). 

The Cardinal's top-12 men's seeds are: Charles Hicks (No. 8, 10,000; No. 10, 5,000), Alek Parsons (No. 11, 10,000), and Ky Robinson (No. 11, steeplechase). 

Among Stanford athletes to advance, six men and five women are freshmen in eligibility. 

The most representatives in any event for Stanford is in the men's 5,000, with nine qualifiers – Hicks, Parsons (No. 15), Callum Bolger (No. 16), Thomas Boyden (No. 21), Cole Sprout (No. 25), Devin Hart (No. 27), DJ Principe (No. 35), Robinson (No. 40), and Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (No. 42). They were among 10 Stanford runners, including Evan Burke, to break 14 minutes this season. 

The Stanford women have five qualifiers each in the 1,500 and 5,000. Donaghu, Heymach, Lucy Jenks, and Jessica Lawson qualified in both. Also, Christina Aragon is among those to advance in the 1,500 and Grace Connolly in both the 5,000 and 10,000. 

Stanford's first-time men's qualifiers are: Miles Smith (800), Hicks (5,000, 10,000), Bolger (5,000), Boyden (5,000), Sprout (5,000), Hart (5,000), Principe (5,000), Robinson (5,000, steeplechase), Beaudoin-Rousseau (5,000, 10,000), J.T. Herrscher (pole vault), and Keyshawn King (triple jump). 

First-time women's qualifiers are: Rossum (100, 200), Ellie Deligianni (800), Kaitlin Ryan (800), Jenks (1,500, 5,000), Connolly (5,000, 10,000), Jones (100 hurdles, heptathlon), and Brielle Smith (javelin). 

Previous All-Americans (including cross country) to advance are Gabriel Navarro (200), Hicks, Parsons, and Sprout among the men, and Erika Malaspina (pole vault), Aragon, Donaghu, Heymach, and Lawson for the women's team. Also, Jaimi Salone (women's discus) and Miller received honorable mention All-America honors in 2019.
 

Alek Parsons, DJ Principe. Photo by John P. Lozano/ISIphotos.com.
 
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Lists of declared athletes:
Men:
Click here.
Women: Click here.

Stanford qualifiers (West rankings, best marks):

Men (14)
200: 47, Gabriel Navarro 21.08.
800: 31, Miles Smith 1:49.17
5,000: 10, Charles Hicks 13:34.63; 15, Alek Parsons 13:36.52; 16, Callum Bolger 13:39.32; 21, Thomas Boyden 13:42.63; 25, Cole Sprout 13:43.92; 27, Devin Hart 13:45.38; 35, DJ Principe 13:49.26; 40, Ky Robinson 13:51.53; 42, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau 13:52.77.
10,000: 8, Charles Hicks 28:25.29; 11, Alek Parsons 28:31.45; 28, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau 28:49.63.
3,000 steeplechase: 11, Ky Robinson 8:41.81.
Pole vault: J.T. Herrscher 17-1 ¾ (5.23m).
Triple jump: 15, Keyshawn King 52-6 (16.00m).
Javelin: 40, Liam Christensen 207-3 (63.17m).

Women (14)
100:
9, Alexa Rossum 11.29.
200: 26, Alexa Rossum 23.41.
800: 35, Ellie Deligianni 2:06.77; 46, Kaitlin Ryan 2:07.25.
1,500: 11, Ella Donaghu 4:14.15; 16, Christina Aragon 4:16; 20, Lucy Jenks 4:17.22; 23, Julia Heymach 4:17.82; 37, Jessica Lawson 4:21.47.
5,000: 2, Ella Donaghu 15:29.42; 9, Julia Heymach 15:40.74; 24, Lucy Jenks 15:55.33; 34, Grace Connolly 16:11.49; 45, Jessica Lawson 16:23.25.
10,000: 41, Grace Connolly 34:15.92.
100 hurdles: 33, Allie Jones 13.40.
Pole vault: 34, Erika Malaspina 13-5 ¼ (4.10m).
Discus: 48, Jaimi Salone 165-9 (50.52m).
Javelin: 11, Virginia Miller 171-9 (52.36m); 37, Brielle Smith 157-5 (52.36m).
Heptathlon: 13 (national rank), Allie Jones 5,727 (advances directly to NCAA Championships).