Falcons' Ayers-Stamper Takes 5th in Pan Am Juniors
July 20, 2003

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (July 20) -- Danielle Ayers-Stamper of Seattle Pacific University, competing in her first international meet for the United States, finished fifth in the heptathlon at the Pan Am Junior Championships Sunday at the National Stadium.

Ayers-Stamper scored 4967 points -- well off her career-best, established earlier this summer at the U.S. junior nationals -- and was second among Americans.

Juana Catillo of the Dominican Republic won the gold medal with a score of 5381. Jamaica's Nadina Marsh claimed the silver with 5135 and Canada's Janine Polischuk earned the bronze with 5101. American junior champion Shanon Meyer of San Diego State was fourth with 5088.

Ayers-Stamper (Fr., LaCrosse, Wa.), second in the NCAA Division II Championships and coming off a score of 5149 in the junior national meet, clocked a personal-best time of 14.41seconds in the 100-meter hurdles to begin the heptathlon Saturday. Her other marks were 5 feet, 2 1/4 inches in the high jump, 38-9 in the shot put and a time of 27.63 in the 200 dash.

Sunday's marks were 17-10 1/2 in the long jump, 128-10 in the javelin and 2:30.32 in the 80 run.

Ayers-Stamper will rejoin the national team next month for a multi-event meet in The Netherlands.