Complete Results (Host Angelo State Web site)

SAN ANGELO, Tx. (May 23) -- Stephanie Huffman of Seattle Pacific University stands in third place, just five points out of second, following the first day of the heptathlon at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships Thursday.

Huffman (Sr., Brush Prairie, Wa./Prairie) earned personal-best marks in each of her first four events en route to a score of 3147 points. Meredith Davis of Morningside (Ia.) is the runaway leader with 3453 while Lincoln's Nikkisha Maynard is second with 3152.

The Falcons' Laura Widman (Jr., Colfax, Wa.) is eighth with 2978 and Leah Wiiest (Sr., Spokane, Wa./Deer Park) is 12th with 2781 going into Friday's three events. Each of the SPU athletes are traditionally strong second-day performers.

In preliminary races, Nathanael Castle (Sr., Gooding, Id.) advanced to a Saturday final while Jawea Harder (Sr., Port Townsend, Wa.) was eliminated. Castle took sixth in his heat but had the sixth-best overall time (3:53.66) to earn one of 12 places in the 1500-meter final. Needing to finish among the top eight in the 400 hurdles, Harder placed 13th overall with a time of 62.87 seconds.

In the heptathlon, Huffman was the top high jumper in the field of 13, clearing 5 feet, 7 inches. She ran the 100-meter hurdles in 14.81 seconds, the 200 dash in 25.66--an improvement of 0.54--and threw the shot 36-3, more than a foot beyond her previous best.

"Everybody in the field seems to be going very strong," said SPU Coach Jack Hoyt. "Stephanie's really putting it all together with those PRs. She's definitely shooting for second at this point.

"Laura began the day a little flat emotionally but she won the shot put (42-4 3/4) and I think that will lift her up going into the second day," said Hoyt. Leah's got a strong 800 and I can see her making up 200 points in that event."

Widman's score is 62 ahead of her pace when she scored 5004 points to qualify. She was timed in a season-best times of 15.45 over the hurdles and 26.02 in the 200 and also jumped 5-1.

Wiiest hit PRs in the hurdles (15.5) and 200 (25.19). Her marks were 4-8 1/4 in the high jump and 36-0 in the shot put.

Morningside's Davis won both the hurdles (13.68) and 200 (24.51), was second in the shot (40-3 1/4) and third in the high jump (5-5 3/4).

Friday's competition concludes with the long jump, javelin throw and 800 run. In prelims, Rachel Ross (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.) and Sarah Kraybill (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Ballard) race in the open 800.