EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (May 26) -- Rachel Ross of Seattle Pacific University ran to a pair of top-five finishes in the space of 90 minutes Saturday night at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships while Stephanie Huffman hurled the javelin for a third-place finish.

The Falcons' 27 points was the highest total in eight years and earned them a tie for ninth place overall with Adams State. St. Augustine's (NC) repeated as team champion with 80.

Ross, Huffman, pole vaulter Ally Studer (Fr., Redmond, Wa./Redmond) and intermediate hurdler Karen Summers (Sr., Bremerton, Wa./Seattle Christian) each earned All-Americas status by scoring in at least one event.

"We're all very happy with where we ended up," said SPU Coach Jack Hoyt. "Our top people all finished at least as high as their seeding even though they were doubling and tripling events. They should be very proud."

Ross (Jr., Kennewick, Wa.) took fourth place in the women's 1500-meter run in 4 minutes, 35.91 seconds and then came back to finish fifth in the 800, recovering from a near-fall on the first lap to be clocked in 2:13.90. She was the only racer to double in both events.

Marjo Venalainen of Kennesaw State won the 1500 amidst a strong wind in 4:33.62. Lewis University's Leva Zunda was first in the 800 in 2:05.19, just edging favorite Florencia Hunt of St. Augustine's who was timed in 2:05.86.

"The 800 was a crazy race," said Hoyt, noting a fall by one runner at the 250 mark. "Rachel had to hurdle over the fallen runner and seemed a bit concerned the rest of the way. In the 1500, she was in the middle most of the way but passed at least one person down the stretch."

In the javelin, only 22 inches separated the marks of the top three medalists. Huffman (Jr., Brush Prairie. Wa./Prairie), who had competed in the heptathlon Thursday and Friday, consistently threw over 149 feet, with a best mark of 149-10. Southern Connecticut's Kateema Riette won on her fifth throw at 151-8 and Western Oregon's Holly Conrad, runner-up to Huffman in the Pacific West Conference, was second at 151-5.

"Stephanie was definitely the most consistent thrower in the field, but she just couldn't get off the big throw."

Seattle Pacific's other Saturday scorer was Summers in the 400 hurdles. She used a strong kick over the final two hurdles to cross the line in six place in 1:01.40. Lana Jekabsone of Lewis was a runaway winner in 57.95.

On Friday, Huffman had finished fourth in the heptathlon while Studer was fifth in the pole vault.

Not since 1993, when they finished fifth, had the Falcons placed among the top 10 teams. They did so this season despite losing two of last year's top scorers--NCAA heptathlon runner-up Laura Widman (Jr., Colfax, Wa.) and All-America hurdler Jennifer Pyeatt (So., Graham, Wa./Bethel)--to illness and injuries. Both are scheduled to return in 2002.