Weather Hinders NCAA Hopefuls at Foreman Invitational
May 14, 2005

Results
Husky Stadium Events     Hammer Throw (at PLU, PDF format)

SEATTLE (May 14) ­ Lauren VerMulm of Seattle Pacific University notched her fourth javelin win of the season but weather conditions allowed for very few quality marks at the 19th annual Ken Foreman Invitational track and field meet Saturday at Husky Stadium.

The Falcons were unable to add or improve any NCAA Division II qualifying marks in their final regular season meet as swirling winds made conditions difficult, particularly in the morning hours.

VerMulm (Fr., Mount Vernon, Wa.), already bound for the NCAA meet with the nation's No. 2 mark, had a best throw of 142 feet, 4 inches. Sara Johnson (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.) was fourth (135-4) but was unable to improve her qualifying mark.

Paul Mach (Sr., Seattle, Wa./King's) got the top SPU performance, considering the conditions. Mach ran second to a meet-record clocking by Willamette's Nick Symmonds in the 800-meter run. Symmonds crossed the line in 1 minute, 48.82 seconds, to erase the mark of 1:48.89 set by the Falcons' Ted Hamlin in 1991. Mach, who has been first or second in eight of nine races, was next in 1:50.99.

Altogether, four meet records were broken. Rebecca Johnstone of Simon Fraser set aside an 18-year-old mark by Cynthia Bayles, cruising across the line in 2:06.10. The others were by Ashley Birger of Colorado-Colorado Springs in the women's steeplechase (11:02.51) and Kathleen Donahue in the pole vault (12-8).

Ja'Warren Hooker, holder of the meet records in the 200 and 400 while sprinting for Washington in 1999 and 2000, won the 100 in 10.57.

Western Oregon's Monica Smith was a double winner, taking both the 100 hurdles in 14.38 and the high jump at 5-7¾.

The Seattle Pacific men got a total of three second-place efforts. In addition to Mach, Tim LeCount (Sr., Battle Ground, Wa.) was runner-up in the 5000 in a season-best 15:02.34‹13 seconds shy of the provisional cutoff, and the 1600 relay was timed in 3:29.53.

For the women, Sharon Bjella (So., Everett, Wa./Everett) and Linda Blake (Jr., Richland, Wa.) tied for second in the high jump (5-3¼). Amy Harris (Jr., Corvallis, Or./Crescent Valley) was third in the pole vault at 11-7¾.

Danielle Ayers-Stamper (Jr., Lacrosse, Wa.), already on the NCAA qualifying lists in five events, scratched from the meet.

A final determination of national qualifiers will be announced Tuesday. The NCAA Championships are May 26-28 in Abilene, Tx.