Day 1 Recap/Results
STANFORD, Calif. – The San Francisco track and field team punctuated a successful weekend at the Cardinal Classic with a school record for senior Elena Burkard.

The native of Baiersbronn, Germany, rewrote the record books in the 1,500 meters, breaking a mark that had been in the books since 2013. Burkard's third place finish in 4:15.63 erased Sophie Curl's previous USF's best of 4:16.09, also set at Stanford's Cobb Track and Angell Field.

"We felt pretty confident going into this weekend she was ready to run faster than she ran three weeks ago," remarked USF head coach Helen Lehman-Winters. "Probably the factor that was most impressive was the way that she ran. She was pretty hot early in the race and then she got rolled up by a few people and came back on and closed really well. I trahink if she had another person between second and her to bridge that gap she probably would have even ran a little faster."

For Burkard, learning from Curl in 2013 has helped propel her to her new position atop the 1,500 meter charts.

"It's always great having a school record because it means that our program is moving in the right direction and making so much progress," reflected Burkard. "For me personally, I feel like I learned so much from Sophie. I remember when I was a sophomore she always tried to explain to me how to race the 1,500. I don't even remember the words anymore, but I feel like now I understood – nice and smooth and fast, but not too fast. For me, I'm just still learning from people who were here before me.

"I feel like at this point I'm appreciating so much to still be here. Last year, I thought it was my last track season so since then I'm like 'wow, I get another chance,' I really want to use it and do my very best. Of course, I want to make it to nationals, I want to make it to the finals. As long as I focus on staying healthy that's the main goal and then everything else will come."

Burkard was not alone in solid performances in the 1,500 on Saturday, as USF's Ryan Driscoll and Charlotte Taylor left an impression with their races. Driscoll turned in a personal best time of 3:46.29 with a fifth place finish in his heat, while the distance runner Taylor demonstrated her speed on the track.

"It was a great race for Ryan. He measured that off really well," said Lehman-Winters. "He was a little deep in the race so he had to do a little bit of work to get himself back in it, but he battled really well and was competitive with a pr for him. Charlotte competed in her first 1,500 in five years. 4:21 for a 10K kid shows that she's got some wheels in her that she'll be able to use when she gets to the NCAA final."

Sprinter Asaundra Dalton finished off a successful weekend at Stanford. The junior from Detroit, Mich., took the win in heat two of the 100 meter dash, sweeping her heats in the 100 and 200 meters on the weekend. She crossed the line in 12.07 with a -2.2 headwind to contend with.

The Dons will have a light weekend upcoming, with the potential of a small contingent competing at Cal's Brutus Hamilton Invitational Friday and Saturday. Then USF returns to Stanford, the home of eight school-record marks, for the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 5.
 
USF Results:
100 m (W)
5. Asaundra Dalton – 12.07
16. Skylar Fenton – 12.86

400 m (M)
25. Chase Midyett – 52.98

400 m (W)
15. Amy Glaser – 61.52

1,500 m (M)
Sec. 2 – 5. Ryan Driscoll – 3:46.29 (pr)
Sec. 3 – 8. Edward Shepherd – 3:59.17
Sec. 4 – 9. Cristian Monsalud – 4:03.96

1,500 m (W)  
Sec. 1/Inv. – 3. Elena Burkard – 4:15.63 (school record)
Sec. 2 – 5. Charlotte Taylor – 4:21.96
Sec. 3 – 7. Emma Stahr – 4:30.30 (pr)

3,000 m SC (M)
7. Mohamed Aziz – 9:01.60