SEATTLE (May 10) -- Both Laura Widman and Leah Wiiest of Seattle Pacific University appear to be improving their chances of qualifying for the NCAA Division II Championships following the first day of the heptathlon at the Ken Foreman Invitational track & field meet Friday.

The rest of the events for the Foreman Invitational get underway Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. at Husky Stadium (see complete schedule below). Admission is free.

Widman (Jr., Colfax, Wa.) leads with 2916 points after four events, and she is 149 points ahead of the first-day pace from her previous best score for the seven-event, two-day competition. Wiiest (Sr., Spokane, Wa./Deer Park) holds second place at 2738 while Whitworth College's Jessica Austin is next with 2323.

Widman and Wiiest have already surpassed the provisional qualifying standard, with scores of 4658 and 4649, respectively, at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships Apr. 25-26. Widman missed all of the 2001 season and the first half of 2002 due to illness and injury. Wiiest is competing in track and field for the first time this spring.

Widman won the first three events--100-meter hurdles (15.4), high jump (5-1 1/14) and shot put (41-3 1/4)--and posted season-best marks in all four, including the 200 dash (26.1). Wiiest won the latter event in a personal-best 25.5. She also had a PR in the hurdles (15.7).

The final three events (long jump, javelin and 800 run) of the heptathlon are Saturday afternoon, beginning at 4 p.m.

Heptathlon First Day Results
100 Hurdles--1, Widman, SPU, 15.4; 2, Wiiest, SPU, 15.7; 3, West, unat., 16.3; 4, Austin, Whit., 16.5; 5, Evans, WWU, 18.6
High jump--1, Widman, SPU, 5-1 1/4; 2, Austin, Whit., 5-0 1/4; 3, West, unat., 4-11; 4, Wiiest, 4-9 3/4; 5, Evans, WWU, 4-8 3/4
Shot put--1, Widman, SPU, 41-3 1/4; 2, Wiiest, SPU, 36-8 1/2; 3, Evans, WWU, 33-9 1/4; 4, West, unat., 28-6 1/4; 5, Austin, Whit., 27-10
200 Dash--1, Wiiest, SPU 25.5; 2, Widman, SPU, 26.1; 3, Evans, WWU, 26.9; 4, Austin, Whit., 28.0; 5, West, unat., 28.3
Four-Event Totals--1, Widman, SPU, 2916; 2, Wiiest, SPU, 2738; 3, Austin, Whit., 2323; 4, West, unat., 2303; 5, Evans, WWU, 2208

Ken Foreman Invitational Meet Schedule Saturday, May 11
9:00 Javelin (w/m)
10,000m (m)
10:00 Long Jump (m/w); Pole Vault (m/w)
10:30 Shot Put (w/m)
11:00 High Jump (w/m); 5000m (w)
11:30 Hammer (w/m) to follow javelin; 3000m Steeplechase (m/w)
12:15 4 x 100m Relay (w/m)
12:25 1500m (w2h/m2h)
12:50 110/100m Hurdles (m2h/w2h)
1:00 Triple Jump (w/m) to follow l. jump
1:20 400m (w1h/m2h)
1:35 100m (w2h/m2h)
1:55 800m (w3h/m2h)
2:00 Discus (w/m) to follow hammer
2:30 400m Hurdles (w2h/m2h)
2:50 200m (w2h/m2h)
3:10 5000m (m)
3:35 3000m (w)
3:45 4 x 400m Relay (w1h/m2h)
4:00 Heptathlon Long Jump
5:00 Heptathlon Javelin
6:00 Heptathlon 800