Stanford equals best finish in program history by placing third, misses national title by two points, thanks to decisions of veterans to remain with program for fifth year

By August Howell for DyeStat

EUGENE – The sky finally parted for Valarie Allman on her second discus throw. For most of the first round, rain and hail poured all over the throwers at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field.

With an inch of rain in the circle, Allman hurled the discus 194 feet, 3 inches (59.20m), elevating from 16th place into first.

Allman, a fifth-year senior at Stanford, eventually dropped to third after impressive final throws from Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen (198-5) and Kansas State’s Shadae Lawrence (195-9), who finished first and second, respectively. It was the first career discus title and fourth Division 1 championship for Ewen, an 11-time All-American, after placing second last year behind Lawrence.

Allman’s third-place effort earned six team points for Stanford, with she and fellow fifth-year senior Vanessa Fraser helping the Cardinal to a third-place team finish, its best in the NCAA championships since 1984, when it also finished third.

Stanford scored 51 points and was edged out by USC (53) and Georgia (52). USC won the 4x400-meter relay as Georgia and Stanford watched the dramatic final event unfold.

Both Allman and Fraser redshirted the 2017 outdoor season in an effort to extend their collegiate careers and bolster Stanford’s title chances this year. In doing so, both saw enormous success in their personal performances.

But it was the aspect of competing for the team that drew the two athletes back.

“It makes it so much more fun to feel like you’re competing for something bigger than yourself,” said Fraser, who finished fourth in the 5,000 meters in 15:43.77 and added five more team points.

“Men and women, it just motivates me.”

In an era when many of the best collegiate athletes often go pro after just one or two years – including several young standouts from these NCAA championships, including USC’s Michael Norman, Florida’s Grant Holloway and Kentucky’s Sydney McLaughlin – Allman and Fraser chose to dedicate training time so the team could have more success in the future.

“From the moment I first got to Stanford, coach (Chris Miltenberg) has just been talking about his vision for our team and how we have the potential to be one of the top teams in the country,” said Allman, who has earned All-America honors eight times, including Thursday’s eighth-place finish the hammer throw.

Following the season Allman redshirted, she became the first Stanford athlete with eligibility in 12 years to compete at the IAAF Outdoor World Championships in August in London.

Much as the University of Georgia has done at recent NCAA championships, Stanford has used field events as a reliable way to earn points.

Mackenzie Little and Jenna Gray went 1-2 in the javelin Thursday, and Lena Giger finished third in the shot put. Stanford got another boost Saturday from 1,500-meter runners Elise Cranny and Christina Aragon, who finished third and fourth, respectively. Cranny ran a program-record 4:09.49 for her 11th All-America honor, with Aragon clocking 4:09.59.

In the 5,000, Fraser knew she had to be one of the top two runners for Stanford to have a chance to clinch the team title. She was in the front pack for most of the race, then moved aggressively to the lead with nearly 500 meters left.

Though she challenged defending champion Karissa Schweizer of Missouri, she was eventually caught, in addition to being passed late in the race by Furman’s Allie Buchalski and Oregon’s Lilli Burdon. Fraser said she was disappointed with the result, but knew she had given it her all.

“I was going into it just thinking about how grateful I am to be a part of this team,” Fraser said. “I’m doing this not just for myself, but for all the people around me.”

Fraser is now an eight-time All-American, and she ran the third-fastest 5,000 meters in the NCAA this season, 15:20.10 at the Payton Jordan Invitational. When she redshirted, she had three unattached races and set a personal best in the event twice.

A year ago, Fraser knew she didn’t want to end her collegiate career on the indoor track, and she knew the program would be better off if she took the time to focus on her training.

“I’m so glad I redshirted because our team is having a freaking awesome spring season,” Fraser said. “It just made sense for the team and my personal development to do that.”

Allman agreed.

“This year, when I look at my teammates, I truly feel like we are a very high-caliber team, and constantly inspired and pushed by each other,” she explained. “That’s something that’s so special to be a part of. I’m very thankful that I redshirted last year and was able to have a moment so magical here at Hayward with my teammates.”