This week...
Fri., Apr. 27, 10 a.m. -- TRACK & FIELD at COUGAR INVITATIONAL, Mooberry Field, Pullman, Wa.
Fri., Apr. 27, 6 p.m. -- TRACK & FIELD at NORTHWEST TWILIGHT, Civic Stadium, Bellingham, Wa.

Complete Women's Track Schedule

Complete Men's Track Schedule

Crunch time nears...
The final opportunity to fit into the top 16 of the conference leaders comes Friday (Apr. 27) for the Seattle Pacific University track & field teams as they compete at both the Cougar Invitational and Northwest Twilight meets. Four women and three men are currently on the bubble in terms of qualifying for the Pacific West Conference Championships, which are May 5. The Falcons will be defending their PacWest women's title next week.

Eastbound again...
This marks the second week in a row that the bulk of the SPU squad will compete on the eastern edge of the state, and once again the field of competitors should be comprised primarily of Division I athletes. In addition to host Washington State, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Washington and Montana are expected to bring full teams. At last week's Pelluer Invitational in Cheney, Seattle Pacific women won five events versus similar competition, including the seventh and eighth middle-distance victories of the spring by Rachel Ross (Jr., Kennewick, Wa.), who remains unbeaten against collegiate runners this season.

See Ross run...
Ross is the premier 800 and 1500-meter runner in the region and demonstrated her dominance by doubling to easy wins at both distances in Cheney. Although her times didn't approach her PRs set earlier this season, she took first in the 800 by 1.83 seconds and 5.8 seconds in the 1500. Ross ranks No. 1 among 1500 times in NCAA Division II and No. 3 in the 800. She now has 13 career wins in the 800 and nine in the 1500. Her versatility is evident from her anchoring the 1600 relay and having won the PacWest cross country title last fall over a 6000m trail.

Huffman set to go...
Ross appears good to go for at least two events at next month's NCAA Championships and so, too, is Stephanie Huffman (Jr., Brush Prairie, Wa./Prairie). Last week Huffman coasted to a provisional-qualifying score of 4935 in taking seventh at the California Invitational heptathlon. Among her marks was a career-best throw of 149 feet, 6 inches in the javelin, where she now owns the No. 2 qualifying mark in the country. Huffman will pass on the PacWest multiple events meet this week and instead concentrate on specific events. Coach Jack Hoyt (2nd year) believes Huffman could also qualify for nationals in the open high jump after she cleared the provisional standard with a leap of 5-5 3/4 last week. It will likely take a mark of 5-7 to enter the NCAA field.

Meet site set...
Hoyt has arranged for the majority of events at the Ken Foreman Invitational to be held at Husky Stadium May 12. The throwing events for the Foreman Invitational will be staged at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle. Husky Stadium's east end throwing areas are under renovation and have been unavailable since early March.

Eastsiders aplenty...
For a handful of Falcons, the Palouse is actually closer to home. Ross raced her final high school season at Kennewick, thrower Lauren Kooy (Fr., George, Wa./Quincy) hails from the Columbia Gorge area and distance runners Kelsey Backen (Jr., Yakima, Wa./East Valley) and Nathanael Castle (Jr., Gooding, Id.) have family within driving distance. Those with homes within the local calling area are men's 800 standout Neal Fryett (Jr., Pullman, Wa./Logos) and women's two-time All-America heptathlete Laura Widman (Jr., Colfax, Wa.), who will compete unattached after declaring redshirt status. Widman's bout with mononucleosis in the winter left her weakened for the spring campaign. She was the NCAA runner-up in the heptathlon and a three-time conference champion as a sophomore.

Wrapping up the week...
While the Falcons posted 12 PRs in the past two weeks, they only added one qualifying mark. Huffman's heptathlon entry is the 10th for the women. Ross did improve her 800 mark to 2:08.05 at Azusa Apr. 14 and Huffman added 8 feet to her season-best in the javelin. Flirting with provisional standards were triple-jumper Natalie Dorow (Sr., Billings, Mt./West), 400 sprinter Cyrena Bell (Sr., Kent, Wa./Christian Faith and the 400 relay. Dorow's season-best jump of 37-7 3/4 is just 5 inches off the mark while Bell, at 57.21, is 0.51 seconds away.

And the winners are...
While Ross ran roughshod at Cheney, two of the three other SPU winners came from the field events. Abby Harris (Sr., Auburn, Wa./Auburn) cleared 5-5 to take her second high jump in three weeks. Pole-vaulter Ally Studer (Fr., Redmond, Wa./Redmond) went over 11-5 for the fifth straight meet, clearing 11-5 3/4. Karen Summers (Sr., Bremerton, Wa./Seattle Christian) was the team's other victor, running the 400 hurdles in 1:02.42‹her second-best time of the season.

Fractions...
Hoyt is taking 13 women and nine men to Pullman with the balance going north to Bellingham. Huffman, whose heptathlon score was fifth best in the nation, will see only light duty in the latter as she is likely to enter at least four conference events...Paul Mach (Fr., Seattle, Wa./King's) and Trevor Sharp (Sr., Bala-Cynwyd, Pa./Delaware Christian) continue to rank 1-2 among conference 400 hurdlers. Fryett has run under 1:56 in each of his last three 800 outings and currently ranks third in the conference. Backen is No. 3 in the 1500...Matt Peterson (So., Lynnwood, Wa./Snohomish County Christian), one of three soccer players to join the men's squad, ranks 10th among PacWest long-jumpers with a mark of 21-6 3/4...SPU features the No. 1 PacWest mark in 12 women's events. Leaders are Bell (400), Ross (800, 1500), Summers (400 hurdles), both the 400 and 1600 relay, Morgan Ranta (Jr., Kent, Wa./Kentridge) in the long jump, Dorow (triple), Harris and Huffman (high jump), Studer (pole vault), and Huffman (javelin, heptathlon).

SPU women's track rosters & season best marks...
Dionna Anderson Jr Lynnwood, Wa. (Edmonds-W'way) Sp/42-2 1/4 Dt/97-9
Hailey Armstrong Fr Pocatello, Id. (Pocatello) 5000/19:45.47 10,000/40:53.86
Schaylee Baumgartner Jr Quincy, Wa. (Quincy) 1500/5:17.6 3000/12:02.86
Cyrena Bell Sr Kent, Wa. (Christian Faith) 100/12.6 200/25.95 400/57.71
Kirsten Bjork Fr Olympia, Wa. (Black Hills) 3000/11:05.14 5000/19:03.5 10,000/40:12.68
Dana Cantrell Jr Bellingham, Wa. (Sehome) 1500/5:06.0 3000/11:04.4
Amy Cowden Sr Seattle, Wa. (Seattle Christian) Hj/5-1 3/4 Lj/17-4 1/2
Natalie Dorow Sr Billings, Mt. (Billings West) Tj/36/4 3/4 Lj/17-1
Amber Farthing Sr LaConner, Wa. (LaConner) 800/2:20.00
Christie Goering Sr Boulder, Co. (Fairview) 800/ 1500/4:52.00 3000/
Jawea Harder Jr Port Townsend, Wa. (Pt. Townsend) 200/26.81 400/60.82 400H/1:04.8
Abby Harris Sr Auburn, Wa. (Auburn) Hj/5-5 3/4
Ruth Hawkinson So Roy, Wa. (Yelm) 3000/11:06.97 5000/18:31.01 10k/
Stephanie Huffman Jr Brush Prairie, Wa. (Prairie) 200/26.82 800/2:33.33 100H/15.34 Hj/5-1 3/4 Lj/17-11 1/4 Sp/32-3 1/2 Jt/149-6 Hep/4935
Lauren Kooy Fr George, Wa. (Quincy) Dt/127-2 Jt/109-0
Sarah Kraybill So Seattle, Wa. (Ballard) 400/59.19 800/2:15.81
Sarah Lyne So Kelseyville, Ca. (Kelseyville) Pv/8-0
Annie McCabe So Spokane, Wa. (Mead) 1500/4:58.43 3000/11:06.09
Lindsey Northwall Fr Omaha, Ne. (Ralston) 3000/ 5000/20:00.89
Candy Owens Fr Ridgefield, Ct. (Ridgefield) 1500/5:14.48 3000/
Erica Owens So Normandy Park, Wa. (Mt. Rainier) 800/2:28.93 1500/5:11.8
Rachae Probst Jr Spokane, Wa. (Mead) 3000/ 5000/ 10k/
Morgan Ranta Jr Kent, Wa. (Kentridge) Lj/18-3 Tj/35-8
Mackensie Rogers Fr Otis Orchards, Wa. (East Valley) Pv/8-6 1/4
Amber Rose Fr Olympia, Wa. (Capital) Lj/16-3 3/4 Tj/35-7 3/4
Rachel Ross Jr Kennewick, Wa. (Kennewick) 400/ 800/2:08.05 1500/4:30.71
Nicole Seana So Carnation, Wa. (Kamiakin) 3000/11:02.71 5000/19:50.81 10k/
Lindsey Stewart So Shoreline, Wa. (King's) 100/13.27 200/
Ally Studer Fr Redmond, Wa. (Redmond) Pv/11-11 3/4
Karen Summers Sr Bremerton, Wa. (Seattle Christian) 200/26.72 100H/15.11 400H/61.1
Jamie Witt Fr Folsom, Ca. (Folsom) 3000/10:06.21 5000/17:29.62

SPU men's track rosters & season best marks...
Yr Hometown (High School)
Kelsey Backen Jr Yakima, Wa. (East Valley) 800/ 1500/3:58.3 5000/
Nathanael Castle Jr Gooding, Id. (Gooding) 800/ 1500/3:58.4 5000/15:20.69
Travis Danner Fr Eugene, Or. (Elmira) Pv/11-0
David Denniston So Laguna Hills, Ca. (Laguna Hills) 400/
Neal Fryett Jr Pullman, Wa. (Logos) 400/52.4 800/1:55.09 1500/4:11.07
Brandon Littlefield Fr Selah, Wa. (Eisenhower) Pv/13-5 3/4
Paul Mach Fr Seattle, Wa. (King's) 400/ 100H/ 400H/55.63
Tim Marston Fr Pullman, Wa. (Logos) 1500/ 5000/
Ryan Nash Jr Spokane, Wa. (Mead) 1500/4:05.5 5000/16:02.22
Matt Peterson So Lynnwood, Wa. (Sno. Cty. Chrstn) Lj/21-6 3/4
Trevor Sharp Sr Bala-Cynwyd, Pa. (Delaware Chrstn) 400H/56.5
Zeph Shepard Fr North Easton, Ma. (Oliver Ames) 200/ Lj/21-5 1/4
Erik Skipper Jr Hillsboro, Or. (Glencoe)
Andrew Steiner So Edmonds, Wa. (Sno. Cty. Chrstn) Shot/34-6 1/4 Disc/126-1
Zach Starr Fr Bend, Or. (Bend) 5000/15:51.26
Scott Van Hess So Salem, Or. (McKay) 800/2:02.29
Blake Witman Fr Lynden, Wa. (Lynden) 100/11.86 400/51.47