Last chance. The difference between having 12 track & field athletes on the provisional qualifying list and getting them or others to the NCAA Championships could be realized this weekend as Seattle Pacific University wraps-up the regular season by hosting the 17th annual Ken Foreman Invitational at Husky Stadium. This meet represents the last chance to post qualifying marks prior to the Division II meet, which is May 22-24 in Edwardsville, Ill. Washington, Eastern Washington, Portland and Division II and III teams from throughout the Northwest are expected to send their top qualifying prospects. The final determination of NCAA participants will be announced May 13.

On the bubble. Of the dozen qualifiers so far, only three are relatively assured of a place in the field at the NCAAs later this month. The balance are on the bubble while still more are anxious to get there. In the heptathlon, which begins Friday, Laura Blake (Fr., Richland, Wa.) seeks to improve her qualifying score from 4446 to around 4750 while injury-plagued and two-time All-America Laura Widman (Sr., Colfax, Wa.) is intent upon salvaging her season and making her fourth trip to nationals. Danielle Ayers-Stamper (Fr., LaCrosse, Wa.), already a lock for the NCAA heptathlon, hopes to add another qualifying event, such as the 100-meter hurdles, javelin or high jump. Intermediate hurdler Paul Mach (Jr., Seattle, Wa./King's), pole vaulter Allie Hedges (Fr., Richland, Wa.) and high-jumper Dianna Grossglass (Fr., LaConner, Wa.) need incremental improvement to rest assured next week. Of the women's 11 provisional qualifying marks, six have come from freshmen.

All their bags are packed. While it will be an undoubtedly tension-filled week for some, others will use the Foreman meet to fine-tune themselves for nationals. Ayers-Stamper is ranked No. 2 among heptathlon qualifiers, metric half-miler Sarah Kraybill (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Ballard) is No. 3 and pole vaulter Ally Studer (Jr., Redmond, Wa./Redmond) is fifth. Ayers-Stamper and Kraybill are coming off an outstanding GNAC Championship meet in which they combined for 71 points and five victories. Kraybill earned female athlete of the meet honors for her rare triple in which she won both the 800 and 1500 and placed second in the 400. Ayers-Stamper, who had already won the heptathlon the previous week, claimed first in both the 100 hurdles and long jump. She also placed among the top five of three other events. Studer achieved perhaps the single-most impressive performance, setting meet, stadium and school records in the pole vault, clearing 12 feet, 4 inches. Coach Jack Hoyt said Studer was over the bar at 12-7, but clipped it with her elbow on the way down. On the men's side, Mach bolted to his third straight conference championship and did so impressively, breaking 53 seconds (52.91) for the first time. He also ran on the 1600 relay which was runner-up in 3:20.52. Grossglass bounced back from a midweek knee injury to win the high jump and take third in the triple jump.

It stopped reigning. Despite all the heroics the SPU women, without Widman and her five events they came up just short in their bid for a fourth consecutive conference crown. Western Oregon won the final race, the 1600 relay, to edge the Falcons, 201.5-207.5. The men finished sixth. In addition to the aforementioned winners, earning all-conference honors were Jamie Witt (So., Folsom, Ca.) in the 3000 (3rd); Blake, 100 hurdles (3rd) and heptathlon (2nd); Kelsey Gleason (Fr., Salem, Or./Salem Academy), 400 hurdles (2nd); Amy Harris (Fr., Philomath, Or./Crescent Valley) and Hedges, pole vault (2nd and 3rd); Jennifer Pyeatt (Jr., Graham, Wa./Bethel), shot put (3rd); Chris Randolph (Fr., Lone Tree, Co./Denver Christian), decathlon (2nd); and Micah Kellcy (Sr., Lakewood, Wa./Clover Park), 400 hurdles (3rd).

Targets & main events. Of those who will likely need to improve their performance mark to ensure a trip to nationals, Grossglass and Mach may have the inside track. At jump of 5-7 could do it for Grossglass or Ayers-Stamper. Mach probably needs to run under 52.7. After running a wind-aided 14.19 in the hurdles at the GNAC meet, Ayers-Stamper has a legal target of around 14.5. She could also make the javelin field with a throw of 142-0. Hedges or Harris will need to clear 11-11 to rise above the pack in the pole vault. A shot put of 45-3 will give Pyeatt a good chance at qualifying. Josie Lavin (So., Bremerton, Wa.) will concentrate on the 1500, where she needs to run under 4:35 or so.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.