S TANFORD WOMEN ’ S ATHLETE PROFILE S Claire Cormier Thielke Senior/Junior (ath) • Middle Distances • Houston, TX Collegiate Career Bests 400 Meters: 56.94 800 Meters: 2:10.03 800 Meters: 2:14.07i 2007 Track & Field Season (Sophomore): Posted a sixth-place finish in the 800 meters at the Pac-10 Championships … Ran a career best 2:10.03 in the 800 meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. 2006 Track & Field Season: Redshirted. 2005 Track & Field Season (Freshman): Recorded a season-best 2:10.73 in the 800 meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. High School: A 2004 graduate of Lamar High School … The 2000 Texas state 5A champion in the 800 meters … A four-time district champion in the 800 and 1,600 meters … A three-time District-17 5A cross country champion … Competed at the US Junior Nationals … Finished 12th in the 800 meters at the US Open. Cardinal Catalogue: Urban Studies major, with an MS in Engineering: Construction – Engineering Management … Selected as a Pac-10 All-Academic First Team member … Parents are Rufus and Yvonne Cormier … Father was an All-American running back at Southern Methodist University. Claire Cormier Thielke Alana Walker Junior/Sophomore (ath) • Sprints • Dix Hills, NY Collegiate Career Bests 60 Meters: 7.73i 100 Meters: 12.41 200 Meters: 24.06 200 Meters: 24.53i 400 Meters: 57.58i 2007 Track & Field Season: Redshirted. 2006 Track & Field Season (Freshman): Ran a season-best 24.06 in the 200 meters at the Rafter Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invite … A member of the 400 meter relay team, posting a season-best 44.39 at the Pac-10 Championship … Also a member of the 1,600 meter relay team, recording a season-best 3:37.16 at the Big Meet … Indoors, ran a season- best 7.73 in the 60 meters and a season-best 24.53 in the 200 meters at the Washington Invitational … Posted a season-best 57.58 in the 400 meters at the Arkansas Tyson Invitational. High School: A 2005 graduate of Half Hollow Hills High School. Cardinal Catalogue: Political Science major … Parents are Dennis Walker and Novella Merriwether. Alana Walker Kelsey Walker Sophomore/Freshman (ath) • Distances • Bellevue, WA 2007 Track & Field Season: Redshirted High School: A 2006 graduate of Bellevue High School in Bellevue, WA … 2004 and 2005 Washington state champion in the 1,600 meters … Also captured the Washington state title in the 3,200 meters in 2005 and 2006, and was runner-up in the event in 2004 … Competed at the 2005 Footlocker West Regional, finishing 17th … Finished seventh at the 2005 Borderclash (Oregon v. Washington). Cardinal Catalogue: Undeclared major … Parents are Chris and Lisa Walker. 2008 STANFORD TRACK AND FIELD 29 S TANFORD WOMEN ’ S ATHLETE PROFILE S Michaela Wallerstedt Junior • Throws • Omaha, NE Collegiate Career Bests Discus: 161-11 (49.35m) Shot Put: 48-5 ½ (14.77m) Shot Put: 46-11 ½ (14.31m)i 2007 Track & Field Season (Sophomore): Finished ninth in the shot put at the NCAA West Regional with a season-best mark of 48-4 ¾ (14.75m) … Placed 20th in the discus … Earned a ninth place finish in the discus with a season best mark of 161-11 (49.35m) and finished 13th in the shot put at the Pac-10 Championships … Indoors, finished tenth in the shot put at the MPSF Indoor Championships … Threw a season-best 46-11 ½ (14.31m) in the shot put at the UW Invitational. 2006 Track & Field Season (Freshman): Threw the discus for a season-best 139-10 (42.63m) at the Mt. SAC Relays … Recorded a season-best shot put of 48-5 ½ (14.77m) at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational … Indoors, posted a season-best of 47-11 (14.60m) in the shot put at the Washington Invitational. High School: A 2005 graduate of Burke High School … The All-Class Nebraska state champion in the shot put in 2004 and 2005 … The All-Class discus champion in 2004 … Finished 11th at the 2003 World Youth Championships … Also competed in the 2004 World Junior Championships … The Nike Indoor champion in the shot put in 2004 … The Adidas Outdoor champion in the shot put and silver medalist in the discus in 2004 … The Michaela Wallerstedt Nike Indoor and Adidas Outdoor silver medalist in the shot put in 2005. Cardinal Catalogue: Undeclared major … Parents are Tracy and Chuck Wallerstedt. Melissa Yunghans Senior • Throws • Fullerton, CA Collegiate Career Bests Discus: 146-5 (44.62m) Shot Put: 52-4 ¾ (15.97m) Shot Put: 49-11 ¾i (15.23m) Hammer Throw: 167-10 (51.16m) Weight Throw: 51-10 ½i (15.81m) 2007 Track & Field Season (Junior): Placed 13th in the shot put at the NCAA West Regional … Earned an eighth place finish in the shot put at the Pac-10 Championships … Recorded a season best shot put mark of 50-04 ¾ (15.36m) at the Stanford Invitational … Posted a season best discus throw of 131-09 (40.17m) at the Stanford Quad Meet … Notched a career best hammer throw of 159-04 (48.56m) at the Big Meet … Indoors, finished seventh in the shot put and eighth in the weight throw with a season-best throw of 51-7 (15.72m) at the MPSF Indoor Championships. 2006 Track & Field Season (Sophomore): Competed in the shot put at the NCAA Championship prelims … Stanford’s top performer in the shot put with a season-best 52-1 ¾ (15.89m) at the NCAA West Regional … Indoors, posted a season-best 49-11 ¾ (15.23m) at the MPSF Championship … Recorded a season-best weight throw of 51-10 ½ (15.81m) at the MPSF Championship. 2005 Track & Field Season (Freshman): Registered a top performance of 146-5 (44.62m) in the discus at the Melissa Yunghans Pac-10 Championships … Recorded a season-best 52-4 ¾ (15.97m) to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the shot put. High School: A 2004 graduate of Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, CA … Finished third in the shot put at the 2004 California State Championships … 2004 Orange County champion in the shot put and discus. Cardinal Catalogue: Psychology major … 2007 Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention … Parents are Tom and Lois Yunghans. 30 2008 STANFORD TRACK AND FIELD S TANFORD WOMEN ’ S NE W COMER S PROFILE S Natasha Barthel Freshman • Pole Vault • Santa Cruz, CA High School: A 2007 graduate of Saint Francis High School … A two-time third place finisher in the pole vault at the CIF Track & Field High School State Championships … Finished second at the CCS Regional … 2007 CIF State Scholar Athlete … 2007 CCS Region Scholar Athlete … Ranked eighth in the nation in 2007 with a vault of 13-0 (3.97m). Cardinal Catalogue: Undeclared major … Father is Karl Barthel, stepmother is Jacqueline Barthel, and mother is Lisa Burns … Is a classically trained vocalist and a three time All-State Choir qualifier … Currently holds a third degree black belt in Shorinji Ryu Karate Do … Enjoys collecting Marvin the Martian memorabilia. Brittni Dixon-Smith Freshman • Long Jump/Sprints • Woodbridge, VA High School: All-Mets honorable mention and All-State in the 200 meters and long jump in 2006-07 … Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2006-07 … Captured the State long jump title in 2005-06 … Long jump region record holder … Woodbridge Senior High School record holder as a member of the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams … first-team All-District and All-Region from 2004-2007. Cardinal Catalogue: International Relations/Economics major … Parents are Donald Smith and Lillian Dixon … Has two sib- lings, Dieon and Ashley. Madeline Duhon Freshman • Distances • Wassenaar, The Netherlands High School: 17-time International School Sports Tournament (ISST) champion in the 400, 800, 1500, 4x100 and 4x400 meters ... ISST record holder in 400, 800, 1500, and 4x400 meters ... Member of 2006 19 and under Dutch national club championship team ... Holds two indoor, four outdoor, and three relay club records... Competed in national circuit races in the Netherlands and Belgium ... Ranked third in the 800 meters and fifth in 1500 meters in the Netherlands under-19 age group … Personal bests include a 2:09.42 in the 800 meters, 4:37.49 In the 1500 meters, and 57.62 in the 400 meters. Cardinal Catalogue: Undeclared major ... Parents are Chris and Jamie Duhon. Alexandra Gits Freshman • Distances • Edina, MN Stanford: Helped the Cardinal women’s cross country team capture the 2007 NCAA title High School: The 2006 Minnesota State Cross Country champion ... 2007 Minnesota State Track & Field 3,200-meter state champion ... Finished fourth at the 2006 Foot Locker Cross Country Midwest Regional… Finished sixth at the 2006 Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships ... Owns the Edina High School record in the 1,600 meters, the 3,200 meters, and the 5k in cross-country... The 2007 USA Track & Field Junior National runner-up in the 5,000 meters along with a fourth-place finish in the 3,000 meters… Ran the nation’s fourth-fastest 5,000 meter time (16:50.47) as a junior in 2007. Cardinal Catalogue: Undeclared Major ... Parents are Charlie and Kim Gits … Has two brothers, Hunter and Colton. Shataya Hendricks Freshman • Sprints • Ft. Lauderdale, FL International Competition: Competed for the Junior World Team at the 2007 Pan American Games. High School: 2006 and 2007 State 100 meter champion … 2007 Florida Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year … 2006 State 200 meter champion … Named an All-American in 2006 and 2007 … Holds the Bob Hayes Invitational 100-meter record (11.30). Cardinal Catalogue: Biological Sciences major … Parents are Craig and Deidra Hendricks … Has one brother, Javaris … Enjoys listening to music, dancing, reading and working on puzzles.