Ayers-Stamper Wins NCAA High Jump, Dickson Second in 5000 at NCAA Indoor Nationals
March 12, 2005

BOSTON (Mar. 12) ­ Danielle Ayers-Stamper became the first Seattle Pacific University national champion in 11 years, winning the high jump, and Karen Dickson was runner-up in the women's 5000 meters on the final day of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center.

Ayers-Stamper's(Jr., LaCrosse, Wa.), who entered as the meet's top seed, was the only jumper to clear 5 feet, 8 inches, doing so on her second attempt. Seven others tied at 5-7.

"Danielle controlled the jumping because she didn't have a miss until her first try at 5-8," said coach Jack Hoyt. "When she was the first over that height, it put a lot of pressure on the others."

It was the fourth indoor title for a Falcon and first since Karin Grelsson in the 1994 triple jump.

Dickson (So., El Dorado Hills, Ca./Oak Ridge) improved her own school record for the second time this season, this time chopping off nearly 12 seconds to 16 minutes, 34.72 seconds. Janet Kogo of Harding won handily in a meet record time of 16:19.59, pulling away in the final 1500 meters.

For Dickson, who had run the mile leg of the seventh-place medley relay Friday, it was her third All-America finish. She was fourth in the cross country championship last fall.

Seattle Pacific finished eighth overall, its best finish since placing sixth in 1993. Saint Augustine's won with 53 points. Ayers-Stamper had finished fourth in the long lump Friday and, altogether, accounted for 15 of the team's points.

In the 60 hurdles final, Ayers-Stamper was a non-scoring ninth place in 8.88 seconds after clipping two hurdles. Central Missouri's Denise Sandbothe won in 8.61.