Former Cardinal standouts provided three of the biggest highlights in a unique athletic year, achieving a world record and two American records in less than 24 hours at a pair of events showcased in intimate settings in the Pacific Northwest

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

One of the greatest chapters in Stanford track and field history was collectively authored by Valarie Allman, Elise Cranny, Grant Fisher and Sean McGorty one week ago, and not one of them were wearing a Cardinal kit, nor did any of their achievements take place at Cobb Track and Angell Field in Palo Alto, Calif.

But as July came to a close and August was just beginning, the four Stanford alumni – all age 25 or younger – each celebrated their greatest career achievements at a pair of low-key competitions in the Pacific Northwest, contributing to a world record and setting a pair of American records in less than 24 hours.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my fellow Stanford alumni for their performances during this unprecedented year,” McGorty said. “This year brought more changes and uncertainty than any of us could have imagined, but all of them found a way to perform at the highest level. But I am not surprised by this at all. All of them are some of the most driven and hardworking people I know and their performances have been a direct result of that. I’m so excited to see what everyone can accomplish in the years to come.”

At the fourth installment of the Portland Intrasquad meet July 31 at Jesuit High in Oregon, Nike Bowerman Track Club teammates Shelby Houlihan, Colleen Quigley, Karissa Schweizer and Cranny ran the fastest time in history in the women’s 4x1,500-meter relay, clocking 16 minutes, 27.02 seconds to eclipse the world record of 16:33.58 set in 2014 by a Kenyan quartet at the World Relays.

WOMEN'S WORLD RECORD 4x1,500 RELAY RACE VIDEO

Not to be left out of the conversation, BTC athletes Evan Jager, Lopez Lomong, Fisher and McGorty achieved the American record in the men’s 4x1,500 by running 14:34.97, lowering the mark of 14:40.80 produced by another U.S. lineup at the same World Relays six years ago in the Bahamas.

MEN'S AMERICAN RECORD 4x1,500 RELAY RACE VIDEO

But if that excellence on the track wasn’t enough success on Friday night, Allman had the spotlight all to herself the following day in the discus ring at the Iron Wood Throws Center in Rathdrum, Idaho.

On Allman’s first attempt of the Aug. 1 competition, the Oiselle professional smashed the American record in the women’s discus throw by launching the 1-kilogram implement 230 feet, 2 inches (70.15m), surpassing the 2014 standard of 226-11 (69.17m) established in France by Gia Lewis-Smallwood.

Allman’s performance was also superior to a 2002 throw achieved by Suzy Powell-Roos, who produced a mark of 227-9 (69.44m), but it was not credited as the American record, since it was a set on a field that sloped downhill.

“It is true everyone dreams of having a huge performance on the biggest stage with a roaring crowd, in a big stadium, under bright lights. The meet in Idaho couldn’t have been any more opposite to this,” said Allman, who improved on her previous best of 220-3 (67.15m) from last year.

“The Iron Wood competition was a really simple environment. A big, open, beautiful field with about 20 people who really appreciated throwing. To me it was so energizing, wholesome and magic. It meant the world that my Coach, Zebulon Sion, was there, as none of this would have been possible without him as well as my mom (Lisa) to be part of the big moment.”

Perhaps there was some foreshadowing of those memorable moments when longtime friends Allman and Cranny – both former Colorado prep standouts at Silver Creek and Niwot, respectively – were facetiming with one another July 29 in preparation for their respective competitions.

“To do something so special at the same time as my best friend was absolutely amazing. Elise and I have known each other for almost nine years through so many incredible highs and challenging lows as we are from the same hometown and were college roommates,” Allman said. “When we chatted before the comps, she seemed so dialed in and energized by the idea of going for a world record. When Elise puts her mind to something, I have come to know nothing is going to stop her. I was over the moon for her and that her years of discipline, resilience, hard-freaking work and grit led to another incredible feat. I couldn’t be happier for her.”

Although Allman expressed some anxiety during that facetime about throwing in a live competition for the first time since the World Outdoor Championships in October in Doha, Qatar, her performance showed otherwise, becoming the first female to surpass the 70-meter barrier since Sandra Perkovic of Croatia in May 2018.

Allman is one of only three active female athletes to produce a 70-meter throw, along with Perkovic – who has achieved the feat 11 times in her career, including a personal-best 234-3 (71.41m) in 2017 – and Denia Caballero of Cuba, with a 2015 mark of 231-9 (70.65m).

“I can’t even put into words how happy, proud and excited I was when I found out that Val set the American record,” Cranny said. “I had to give her a hard time when I facetimed her again after her American record because clearly her nerves and lack of competing the last several months did not present any problems. Sean and I rewatched the video of her throw over and over. Watching her throw from our high school days in Colorado to Stanford to now, it has been incredible to see her transform into an entirely different athlete.  Her American record throw was gorgeous. I have never seen her look so graceful and fluid, while also looking insanely strong, powerful and explosive.

“I know the endless hours of strength training, throwing, and recovery she has been putting in over the last several months has been gruelling and at times very isolating as well, so seeing everything come together in a magical moment brings the biggest smile to my face. I only wish that I could have been there to watch in person and celebrate with her afterward.”

Despite the challenges presented by the Coronavirus pandemic, there has been much to enjoy for the Bowerman Track Club athletes this summer, with several impressive individual performances in earlier intrasquad meets setting the stage for the exceptional relay efforts showcased July 31.

“The team culture at Bowerman is something incredibly special. This whole year has not been what we have expected, but the strength of the team and our bond as teammates has been highlighted again and again,” Cranny said. “The commitment to excellence in this group and the standard each individual holds themselves to, elevates the entire team. For example, when we couldn’t work out as a big group during quarantine together, we were all motivated by one another. Even if I couldn’t see my other teammates doing their workouts, I knew they were putting in the work, which inspired me to stay focused and do the same.”

The first indications following altitude training camp in Park City, Utah, came June 30 at the opening Portland Intrasquad meet, when Cranny (14:48.02) and Courtney Frerichs (14:50.06) both ran lifetime bests in the 5,000, along with McGorty (13:11.22) and Fisher (13:11.68) both achieving personal-best performances.

Cranny’s mark remained the world leader until July 10, when Houlihan and Schweizer ran the two fastest 5,000 times by American female athletes in history, clocking 14:23.92 and 14:26.34, respectively to both elevate into the top 15 all-time globally. Schweizer also added a world-leading 4:00.02 effort July 21 in the 1,500.

“Shelby and Karissa paced me, Courtney, Marielle (Hall), Colleen, and Gwen (Jorgensen) in our 5K, and 10 days later, we came back to pace them,” Cranny said. “These meets have been such a source of camaraderie. We have all worked together to create races for one another that help us all to get the best out of ourselves. I felt this same energy and camaraderie so strongly during the relay on Friday.”

In an effort to make the women’s race an official record pursuit, Quigley, Cranny, Schweizer and Houlihan competed against teammates Emily Infeld, Marielle Hall, Gwen Jorgensen and Frerichs.

Their sacrifices weren’t lost on the record-setting quartet, especially when Infeld was coming off injury and hadn’t done any summer workouts with the group, in addition to Hall and Jorgensen needing to complete their legs in order to have the second relay finish the race as well.

“The focus was on competing for one another and giving it our all. Getting that record wasn’t just about the four of us that ran on that relay team, but about our Bowerman family as a whole. It was about showing what can happen when women surround themselves by other women who continually challenge them to be better,” Cranny said. “Thinking about and running for one another gave all of us the inspiration and motivation that we needed to run hard 1500s, competing against the clock. Holding that relay baton in my hand has always given me extra power and strength, pushing through the difficult parts of the race because you know your teammates are giving their all for you.”

The same mindset has always been present for McGorty throughout his prep career at Chantilly High in Virginia, as well as during his time competing for Stanford, with the Cardinal consistently an annual contender in the distance medley relay at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships.

“Relays have always had a special place in my heart because of the teammates I’ve been able to line up with,” McGorty said. “In high school, I was fortunate enough to run on multiple relays with my younger brother Ryan. Then, in college, I was able to line up with my youngest brother Brandon at NCAAs. Competing with both of them is something I’ll forever cherish.”

Although Bowerman Track Club has assembled one of the deepest and most talented distance-running groups in the world under coach Jerry Schumacher, McGorty didn’t know if relays would play a significant role in his professional career.

But just like his female teammates, a record-setting opportunity was presented to Fisher, Jager, Lomong and McGorty, and they took full advantage, prevailing in a competitive matchup against teammates Moh Ahmed, Ryan Hill, Woody Kincaid and Marc Scott, who ran 14:44.70.

“After my last indoor track NCAAs, I thought my relay days were behind me, so to be able to line up with Grant, Evan, and Lopez was incredibly special,” McGorty said. “Evan and Lopez have accomplished an enormous amount in their careers and are two athletes I’ve looked up to for multiple years. Grant is one of the best teammates I’ve ever had, and someone that has continually helped push me to a higher level. So to be on a relay with all of them meant a lot and the race is one I'll always remember.”

Both 4x1,500 relays took on even greater meaning, with proceeds from race pledges and auction items associated with the record-setting performances going toward Bowerman Track Club’s fundraising efforts to support the Equal Justice Initiative.

“Fundraising for the Equal Justice Initiative was a huge source of motivation for the group. The work that Bryan Stevenson is doing to change the conversation about race and mass incarceration in America is absolutely incredible. We all raced with bibs that said ‘Until We All Win’ on them too, which provided that extra inspiration knowing we were running for something much bigger than ourselves,” Cranny said. “After seeing the energy and enthusiasm of track fans after the first couple of meets, it was important to use the platform we had as a team through these intrasquad competitions to do our part in fighting for racial justice. We hope that having this fundraiser in conjunction with a few of our meets continues to open all of our eyes to the injustices all around us. We hope to continue to do more in the realm of racial and social justice as a team moving forward, specifically in sports and running, working to make running more accessible to all.”

The auction continues through Sunday for “Until We All Win - Nike Bowerman Track Club Fundraising Extravaganza,” with the group already surpassing their preliminary goal of raising $15,000 in pledges.

“It meant a lot to everyone on the team to be running for the Equal Justice Initiative. Bryan Stevenson is an inspiration and the work he is doing with EJI is so important,” McGorty said. “We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have some special performances at some of our intrasquad meets, but I think everyone would agree that this most recent meet meant the most because we were running for a greater cause.”

The Portland Intrasquad summer meets will conclude Friday for the Bowerman Track Club athletes, with Allman likely making the best throw of her career part of her only competition until next year.

Although they weren’t all together in the same place to celebrate, as they might have been during their collegiate days at The Big Meet or at an NCAA final, the significance of their accomplishments will forever connect the Stanford alumni to track and field history.

And Allman only added to the connection by making a special trip to Oregon following her competition, traveling more than three hours from Idaho to the small town of Hermiston to meet a Doping Control Officer from USADA in order to complete drug testing within a 24-hour window after achieving the American record.

“To me, it is so meaningful. It is so incredibly rare so many young pros from the same school would all be having such success at the same time. I take great pride in being part of something so magical,” Allman said. “Their influence on me during our college years at Stanford is something I am always going to be thankful for. Having teammates, who were also my closest friends, striving for excellence and achieving it, undoubtedly helped bring out the best in me.”

And with fellow Cardinal alumni Vanessa Fraser, also representing Bowerman Track Club, returning soon from injury after running 14:48.51 in the 5,000 in February for the No. 2 indoor performance in U.S. history, the best might still be yet to come for all of the former Stanford standouts in the coming years, when opportunities to qualify together for the Olympics and World Championships will be next on their ambitious list of goals and aspirations.

“It has been nothing short of inspiring to see fellow Stanford alumni rising to the occasion in such a unique year. I think it is a testament to patience and staying the course,” Cranny said. “What is most special to me is knowing the journey and stories behind each of these fellow Stanford alumni’s successes. All of us have had our injuries, setbacks, challenges, or times when things just weren’t clicking or we weren’t adjusting to new training as quickly as we would have liked. Knowing that the road wasn’t always easy or linear makes the success stories of Sean, Grant, Vanessa, and Val that much more powerful and inspiring.

“Similar to the power of team culture at Bowerman, where excellence inspires excellence, where teammates elevate one another to new heights, and where teammates disprove limits you once thought existed for yourself, being a part of the Stanford alumni family feels that way too. Vanessa running so fast indoors elevated the rest of us and showed us what is possible with hard work, patience and belief. Even though Val and I live many states away and compete in completely different events, talking to her regularly and seeing her focus and dedication to being the best athlete she can be, in turn inspires and challenges me. I feel so incredibly lucky for my Stanford alumni family, they push me, they inspire me, and they provide strength, energy and motivation from near and far.”