Michigan
Stanford Invitational
Rynda Makes History on Final Day at Stanford Invite
3/30/2019 9:27:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Palo Alto, Calif. (Cobb Track & Angell Field)
Event: Stanford Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., April 12-13 -- at Louisville Invitational (Louisville, Ky.) and UC San Diego Triton Invitational (San Diego, Calif.)
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team got a historic performance from one of its young rising stars on Saturday (March 30) as it closed out a weekend of competition at the Stanford Invitational.
True freshman Aurora Rynda clocked 2:06.35 over 800 meters to notch the fastest-ever career debut by a first-year Michigan competitor in the event, headlining a day that produced several additional career-best performances.
The weekend out west generated 14 collegiate outdoor career-best performances and seven efforts that could result in qualification for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in May.
Rynda finished third in her race and fifth overall with her time, which topped Olympian and two-time NCAA champion Geena Gall's previous freshman debut record of 2:07.01 from the 2006 Stanford Invitational.
Running third through the first lap -- one that was completed in less than 60 seconds -- Rynda appeared to be tiring as she rounded the final turn towards home with 200 meters to go. With two competitors going around her outside on the final turn, Rynda found just enough of a gear to keep pace with her challengers and hold them at bay as the five-woman chase pack behind professional winner Lindsey Butterworth.
While she ultimately could not run down the second-place finisher, Rynda did put some daylight between herself and fourth in the closing 20 meters of the race.
The performance should be enough to rank her top-48 in the NCAA East Region at the conclusion of the regular season, which would earn her a berth to the NCAA East Preliminary rounds. Serving as the opening rounds of the NCAA Championships, the NCAA East Prelims have historically only required a time just under 2:08 to make the qualifying cut.
She was one of three Wolverines to dip below the 2:10 threshold on the day, joined by an outdoor collegiate career-best 2:09.43 for Alice Hill -- which came in a section win -- and Lauren Biggs' 2:09.70. They finished 18th and 22nd, respectively.
Headlining the action in the field on Saturday was Kayla Deering, who tossed a career-best 56.25m (184 feet, 6 inches) to take third in the collegiate hammer throw. The performance moved her to No. 6 in school history.
The 4x400 relay squad of Jade Harrison, Julia Hall, Jenna Reid and Chloe Foster closed out the weekend on the track with a third-place finish in 3:40.31.
After a weekend away from competition to open up the month of April, the full Wolverine squad will be back in action the following weekend (April 12-13) as the squad splits between the Louisville Invitational and the UC San Diego Triton Invitational.
Collegiate Career-Best Performances
Career debuts in events not included; indoor career bests are considered separate, even for the same event; wind-aided performances (greater than +2.0m/s) are not included.
Bailey Baker -- 47.25m (155-0) / Discus (O)
Meg Darmofal -- 2:11.22 / 800m (O)
Camille Davre -- 2:12.30 / 800m (O)
Kayla Deering -- 56.25m (184-6) / Hammer Throw (O)
Alice Hill -- 2:09.43 / 800m (O)
Full Michigan Results by Event
Q = Automatic qualifier into final; q = non-automatic qualifier into final; w = wind-aided performance (Wind readings greater than +2.0m/s are considered "wind-aided" and are not eligible for record purposes. Wind readings up to and including +4.0m/s are allowable for NCAA East Preliminaries qualifying purposes.)
100 Meters (Contested Friday)
PRELIMS
25. Jeryne Fish / 12.55 (-0.4m/s)
26. Jade Harrison / 12.57 (-0.1m/s)
31. Sydney McGinley / 12.78 (-0.6m/s)
200 Meters
42. Julia Hall / 25.51 (-1.4m/s)
54. Tiana Luton / 27.13 (+1.6m/s)
55. Theresa Mayanja / 27.22 (-0.4m/s)
400 Meters (Contested Friday)
17. Julia Hall / 56.26
32. Emma Lane / 59.26
800 Meters
5. Aurora Rynda / 2:06.35
18. Alice Hill / 2:09.43
22. Lauren Biggs / 2:09.70
38. Meg Darmofal / 2:11.22
42. Camille Davre / 2:12.30
1,500 Meters (Contested Friday)
Event contested in multiple sections with no overall standings. Results below are sorted by finishing time.
2. Meg Darmofal / 4:20.49 (Section 3)
3. Hannah Meier / 4:21.14 (Section 2)
1. Micaela DeGenero / 4:25.45 (Section 5)
5. Alice Hill / 4:25.91 (Section 2)
3. Camille Davre / 4:27.68 (Section 5)
3. Aurora Rynda / 4:29.91 (Section 7)
5. Audrey Belf / 4:33.83 (Section 7)
7. Lexi Munley / 4:34.18 (Section 7)
8. Megan Worrel / 4:34.40 (Section 7)
5,000 Meters (Contested Friday)
Event contested in multiple sections with no overall standings. Results below are sorted by finishing time.
2. Anna West / 16:16.33 (Section 3)
4. Jessi Larson / 16:23.75 (Section 3)
12. Kathryn House / 16:34.94 (Section 3)
18. Maddy Trevisan / 16:38.39 (Section 2)
15. Rachel Coleman / 16:40.08 (Section 3)
22. Jena Metwalli / 16:48.82 (Section 3)
26. Faith Reynolds / 16:59.87 (Section 3)
29. Raquel Powers / 17:40.13 (Section 3)
100-Meter Hurdles (Contested Friday)
PRELIMS
24. Theresa Mayanja / 14.79 (-0.1m/s)
31. Sydney McGinley / 15.35 (+0.2m/s)
32. Tiana Luton / 15.42 (+0.1m/s)
400-Meter Hurdles (Contested Friday)
1. Chloe Foster / 59.65
17. Jenna Reid / 63.99
4x400-Meter Relay
3. Michigan / 3:40.31
High Jump (Contested Friday)
5. Claire Kieffer-Wright / 1.76m (5-9.25) (Invite Section)
8. Katt Miner / 1.66m (5-5.25) (Invite Section)
Pole Vault (Contested Friday)
7. Jessica Mercier / 3.78m (12-4.75) (Invite Section)
Long Jump (Contested Friday)
4. Jeryne Fish / 5.63m (18-5.75) (+1.2m/s)
8. Tiana Luton / 5.43m (17-9.75) (+0.6m/s)
Shot Put (Contested Friday)
Event contested in multiple sections with no overall standings. Results below are sorted by distance.
4. Briana Nelson / 14.85m (48-8.75) (Invite Section)
2. Erin Connor / 14.50m (47-7)
Discus Throw
6. Bailey Baker / 47.25m (155-0)
Hammer Throw
Non-invitational section to be contested on Saturday
5. Bailey Baker / 56.99m (187-0) (Invite Section / Friday)
3. Kayla Deering / 56.25m (184-6)
5. Briana Nelson / 50.92m (167-1)
Javelin Throw
13. Tiana Luton / 32.15m (105-6)
16. Theresa Mayanja / 23.20m (76-1)
Players Mentioned
