Johnson, Hedges Make NCAA Marks As SPU Women Win Outdoor Opener
March 6, 2004

Complete Results

TACOMA, Wash. (Mar. 6) – Sara Johnson of Seattle Pacific University threw for an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the javelin and Allie Hedges made the national list in the pole vault as the Falcons opened the outdoor track & field season with victories over host Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark in a triangular meet at Baker Stadium Saturday.

Seattle Pacific won 15 of 19 events and finished with 128 points. Puget Sound had 38 and the Lewis & Clark 28. Sprinter Jean Kolb (So., Eugene, Or./South Eugene) bolted to wins in the 100-(12.91) and 200-meter (26.66) dashes, Linda Blake (So., Richland, Wa.) took the 100 hurdles (15.66) and high jump (5-1 3/4) and Lauren Kooy (Sr., George, Wa./Quincy) made first-place throws in the shot put (34-11)and discus (128-8).

The SPU men, with 64 points, finished second to the Loggers (75.5) while the Pioneers had 59.5. The Falcons’ Eddie Strickler (Fr., Richland, Wa.) captured both the 400 (50.00) and 800 (2:01.79) and ran a leg of the winning 4 x 400 relay and Chris Randolph (So., Lone Tree, Co.) took first in the 110 hurdles (16.02), and discus (134-0).

Johnson (Jr., Kennewick, Wa./K’wick-Spok. Falls CC), flung the javelin 147 feet, 7 inches-more than 13 feet beyond the provisional standard. She led a 1-2-3-4 sweep for SPU. Hedges (So., Richland, Wa.) vaulted 11 feet, 6 inches.

Other individual winners for the women were Kenyatta Leonhardt (Fr., Petaluma, Ca.) in the 400 (58.83), Jennifer Marsh (Fr., Kirkland, Wa./Juanita) in the 800 (2:15.66), Abby Groth (So., Roseburg, Or.0 in the 1500 (4:55.87)Kelsey Gleason (So., Salem, Or.) in the 400 hurdles (1:06.17) and Denae Clark (Fr., Hillsboro, Or.) in the long jump (17-3 1/4).

For the men, Tim LeCount (Jr., Battle Ground, Wa.) won the 1500 (4:03.73), Micah Kellcy (Sr., Lakewood, Wa./Clover Park) the 400 hurdles (57.43) and Philip Bayley (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Kings) the shot put (41-5 1/4).

Beginning next Friday in Boston, Marsh, Ally Studer (Sr., Redmond, Wa.) and Paul Mach (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Kings) compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships. The balance of the squads compete at the Salzman Invitational in Tacoma.