NCAA

Stanford Star Ky Robinson Registers Second-Fastest 3K In History At UW

Stanford Star Ky Robinson Registers Second-Fastest 3K In History At UW

The Stanford star clocked the NCAA's top time for 3K and entered into elusive company with the performance.

Feb 10, 2024 by Cory Mull
Stanford Star Ky Robinson Registers Second-Fastest 3K In History At UW

It was the Ky Robinson show on Friday at the Dempsey in Seattle as the Stanford senior registered the second-fastest 3,000 meter performance in collegiate history, clocking a final time of 7:36.69. 

That downed Luke Houser's facility record of 7:40.40 -- which the UW athlete accomplished in January -- by nearly four seconds

In the collegiate record books, only Drew Bosley has gone faster in 7:36.42 -- though it also should be said that Robinson's mark came an oversized 300 meter track at Washington, which means it won't officially stay in the record books. 

A time is a time, though, and Robinson carried a historic race. 

Four runners went under 7:40 in total, including second-place Aaron Las Heras of NAU (7:37.26), third-place Matt Strangio of Portland (7:39.02) and fourth-place Theo Quax of NAU (7:39.85). 

Before 2022, only one collegiate athlete in history, Alistair Cragg, had dipped under that mark, and he held that spot for 18 years before Yared Nuguse produced a new NCAA record of 7:38.13 in 2022. 

Since then, six athletes have dipped under that threshold, with four more coming on Friday. A total of seven athletes went under 7:50 on Friday in Seattle, including the likes of Will Smith (Gonzaga), Evan Jenkins (UW), Colin Sahlman (NAU) and Brodey Hasty (NAU). 

Robinson has had a blitzing indoor season thus far, posting a PR of 13:06.42 for 5K, which is currently the third-best mark in the NCAA. 

Robinson finished third at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in November.