MAPLEWOOD, NJ – Olivia Baker, a 2014 Columbia High School graduate, finished fifth in the 800-meter finals to lead the Stanford University women’s track and field team at the NCAA Division 1 National Championships at Hayward Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
Baker, a senior, clocked 2:06.18 on the final day of the four-day meet on Saturday, June 9.
Baker advanced to the 800 final on time, after finishing third in Heat 2 in a season-best 2:02.76 on the second day of the meet.
It marked her third straight NCAA outdoor 800 final. She finished runner-up as a sophomore in 2016 and took eighth as a junior in 2017.
The Stanford women matched their highest finish in program history, placing a close third.
In windy and chilly conditions that ranged from drizzle to downpour, Stanford picked up five top-five finishes on the meet’s final day, and led through 16 of the 21 events, only to fall two points shy. Stanford scored 51, to finish just behind USC (53) and Georgia (52).
Baker finished third in the 800 at the Pac-12 Conference Outdoor Nationals this season.
In the indoor season this past winter, she won the 800 at the Pac-12 Indoor Championships for the second year in a row as she clocked 2:04.31 and finished eighth at the NCAA Nationals Indoor in 2:04.54
As a freshman, Baker finished fourth in her heat and 10th overall in the 800 at the NCAA Outdoor Nationals, after taking third at the Pac 12 Championships.
The article contains information from Stanford University athletics.
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