Publication Date: Wednesday Apr 22, 1998

STANFORD ROUNDUP: Brad Hauser grabs the lead in a sibling running rivalry

Brad Hauser has thrown down the challenge to his twin brother, Brent: Break my records, if you can.

For the second time in a matter of weeks, Brad erased his brother's school mark from the Stanford track and field record book. The most recent record fell last weekend at the annual Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, where Brad clocked a school record of 13:35.98 while finishing seventh in the invitational 5,000 meters.

Brent, who finished 12th in 13:42.37, held the previous school mark of 13:39.75 set in 1997. A few weeks ago, Brad erased Brent's 10,000-meter record with a U.S.-leading 28:16.60, the second-fastest time by an American in two years.

The Hausers produced just two of many fine performances by Stanford athletes during the three-day running carnival at Mt. San Antonio College.

Freshman Gabe Jennings finished third in the invitational mile, clocking the the No. 2 collegiate time of the outdoor season (3:59.32). Fellow freshman Jonathon Riley was eighth (4:03.45) and sophomore Michael Stember ninth (4:04.68).

Stanford freshman Julia Stamps had a busy weekend. She took sixth in the women's university division 3,000 on Friday, clocking a season-best 9:21.41, with teammate Monal Chokshi 10th in a season-best 9:27.11. On Sunday, Stamps was ninth in the invitational 1,500 in 4:21.41 with teammate Sara Moore 11th in 4:25.79.

In the men's college 800, frehman Mark Hassell was third in his heat in a season-best 1:49.25 while junior Jake Maas was second in his heat in 1:50.38. Toby Stevenson was second in the college pole vault at 17-5 3/4 and Summer Pierson was sixth in the women's discus at 160-8. The Cardinal women's 1,600 relay clocked a season-best 3:44.48.

At the Azusa Pacific heptathlon competition, sophomore Tracye Lawyer recorded six season bests in seven events to take fourth. The defending Pac-10 heptathlon champ totaled 5,544 points in her first multi-event competition of the year. Among her marks was a 14.31 in the 100 hurdles, a 19-1 1/2 in the long jump and a 2:32.85 in the 800 meters.

Water polo

The No. 2-ranked Cardinal women (23-4) will begin their quest to qualify for the national championship tournament when they play host to the West Regional qualifying tourney beginning Friday in deGuerre Pool.

The 13-team field, vying for seven spots in the national event, features defending national champ UCLA and the fast-rising Cardinal.

Stanford opens the tourney against Pacific on Friday at 8 a.m., then plays San Diego State at 1:50 p.m. The Cardinal should easily advance from its pool to Saturday's semifinals against (most likely) California at 3:40 p.m. The championship match is Sunday at 2 p.m.

Stanford made its final tuneup for the tourney a good one by dumping host UC Davis, 7-2, Sunday. Menlo School grads Lindsay Welsh and Suze Gardner paced the Cardinal with two goals apiece.

Gymnastics

Larissa Fontaine became the first women's gymnastics champ in school history when she tied for first place in the vault at the NCAA championships last weekend in Los Angeles.

Fontaine, with an average score of 9.8625, also became the first gymnast in NCAA history to win the vault title coming into the tournament as an individual event qualifier.

"Larissa came in really focused on trying to win the event, and we knew she could do it if she just did what she is capable of," said Mark Cook, Stanford's first-year coach. "Her first vault was awesome and it became a matter of just hitting the second vault, and she did."

Fontaine, who made a remarkable comeback this season from a broken thumb sustained in fall practice, tied defending champion Susan Hines of Florida for the title. Fontaine scored 9.950 and 9.800 on her two vaults.

Men's volleyball

The defending NCAA champion Cardinal had its run at a possible second straight title ended quickly last weekend during a 12-15, 15-6, 15-3, 15-5 setback to host Pepperdine in the opening round of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament.

The loss marked the end of the careers of seniors Devin Poolman, Keenan Whitehurst, Tad Hoffman and Tyler Neal. Stanford finished 15-8.

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