April 29, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - Making her spring outdoor debut and running in her first-ever 10,000 meters, junior Deborah Maier broke a 27-year-old California school record with a time of 32:12.47 at the Payton Jordan Invitational Sunday night. In the process, Maier became the third-fastest collegian of all-time at the distance.

Maier, who earlier this year broke the Cal 5000-meter mark during the indoor season, placed 12th in the 10K race, but was the top collegiate runner, finishing just ahead of Iowa State's Meaghan Nelson, who finished two seconds back in 32:14.27. Betsy Saina, running unattached, won in 31:15.97.

Maier's time was less than two-and-a-half seconds off the Olympic B standard and was well ahead of the previous Golden Bear mark of 32:40.76 posted by Kristen O'Hara in 1985.

The only two runners in NCAA history to go faster than Maier were Lisa Koll of Iowa State, who was timed in 31:18.07 in 2010, and Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego, who had a time of 31:25.45 in 2008. Overall, Maier's mark is the fifth-best ever collegiately, behind only two times each by Koll and Kipyego.

Earlier this year, Maier was the NCAA runner-up in the 3000 and 5000 meters during the indoor season. She also placed 11th at the NCAA cross country meet in the fall, matching O'Hara for the highest showing by a Cal runner in the national race.

In addition to Maier, senior Chelsea Reilly ran the third-fastest 5000 meters in school history at the Payton Jordan meet when she was timed in 15:57.53. Competing in section 2, Reilly was 13th overall, but the fourth-ranked collegian in the field. The only two runners who have posted better times at Cal are Maier, who set the school record of 15:29.24 during the 2012 indoor season, and O'Hara, who ran 15:46.80 in 1985.

Reilly was running outdoors for the first time this spring after earning All-America honors indoors and at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, where she was 24th overall.

Scott Esparza took second in the men's hammer and came through with a PR effort of 197-10. The mark bettered his 194-7 set just two days prior at the Brutus Hamilton Open at Edwards Stadium.

Alima Kamara claimed victory in the women's 400 meters. Her time of 53.87 was a season best - nearly a second faster than she ran at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational Saturday - and her fastest since clocking the No. 2 time in school history (52.75) as a freshman in 2010.

Also coming through with an improvement from Saturday was senior Taylor Bryson. She won second section of the women's 1500 meters in 4:20.35 after being timed in a then-lifetime-best 4:20.81 in a triumph at the Brutus Hamilton meet.

Note: Former Golden Bear David Torrence ran under the Olympic A standard in the 5000 meters, finishing in 13:16.53, which was good for seventh place. He entered the weekend with the top mark in the world for 2012 in the 1500 meters (3:35.66) ... Cal volunteer assistant coach Amy Haapanen won the women's hammer with a best of 221-5.

Payton Jordan Invitational
Cobb Track and Angell Field / Stanford, Calif.

Complete Results

California Results

Men

5000m (section 3) - 11. Maxime Chevee 14:12.03

Discus - 2. Derek White 178-5 (54.38m); 3. Chijoke Nwuzi 163-3 (49.75m); 5. Sullivan Parker 151-5 (46.16m)

Hammer - 3. Scott Esparza 197-10 (60.29m); 4. Derek White 189-5 (57.73m); 6. Stephen Burke 167-8 (51.12m); 7. Chijoke Nwuzi 160-9 (48.99m); 8. Isaac Dan 153-2 (46.70m)

Women
400m - 1. Alima Kamara 53.87

800m - 37. Arielle Stevenson 2:10.80

1500m (section 4) - 1. Taylor Bryson 4:20.35

1500m (section 5) - 6. Sydney Gray 4:28.72

5000m (section 2) - 13. Chelsea Reilly 15:57.53

10,000 meters (section 1) - 12. Deborah Maier 32:12.47

100m hurdles - 5. Tiarra Pittman 15.20

Hammer - 2. Linda Oseso 191-10 (58.47m)