Season in Review: Men’s Track and Field

AS KY ROBINSON captured third in a wild finish to the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, it closed the collegiate career of one of the greatest runners to wear a Stanford singlet. 

Robinson finished with 13 All-America honors, nine track and field first-team selections, three Pac-12 individual championships, three Pac-12 team cross-country championships, and two NCAA titles.

His 13:06.42 indoors at the Colyear-Danville Opener on December 2 in Boston was one of fastest 5,000’s in collegiate history. It stands as the third-fastest by a collegian indoors. And, on the collegiate absolute list (including indoors and outdoors, and out-of-season competitions), Robinson’s time is No. 7 all-time.

Robinson also set two other school indoor records. His 7:36.69 for 3,000 on the 307-meter Dempsey Indoor track at the Husky Classic in Seattle is No. 2 in collegiate history on any-sized indoor track. He also anchored the Cardinal to a distance medley relay school record of 9:27.06 for a 200-meter track. Cole Sprout, Will Floyd and Leo Young were the first three legs of that team. The time was the 35th-fastest in collegiate history.

Robinson carried the load in 2024, scoring all of Stanford’s points in the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. He was third in both the indoor and outdoor 5,000 finals and was fifth in the indoor 3,000.

Though he had never won a Pac-12 individual championship before this academic year, Robinson made up for it by winning conference titles in cross country, and in the 5,000 and 10,000 on the track.

Sweeping the conference’s three long-distance titles in the same academic year had only been accomplished five previous times in Pac-12 history, by: Chris Derrick (Stanford) in 2009-10, Galen Rupp (Oregon) in 2006-07, Robert Cheseret (Arizona) in 2004-05 and 2005-06, and Josephat Kapkory (Washington State) in 1993-94.

Among Stanford’s standouts this season were freshmen Leo and Lex Young. The twins are now 1-2 among true freshmen all-time at Stanford in the 3,000, with Leo running 7:54.38 and Lex 7:55.17 indoors. 

In the NCAA West Prelims in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Leo Young was the highest placing American true freshman, taking 16th overall in the 1,500 (in a season-best 3:41.84) at the meet which determines half the NCAA Championships field. 

Lex Young finished 33rd overall in the 5,000, but he also had the distinction of being the highest-finishing American true freshman in his event.

Garrett Brown…