SEATTLE (May 25) ­ Danielle Ayers-Stamper will either develop a new friendship or a new rival over the next three days under the hot West Texas sun.

Seattle Pacific University's exceptionally talented all-around track and field athlete, Ayers-Stamper will be spending some long days and nights at the NCAA Division II Championships in Abilene. She is entered in a team record four competitions, including the two-day, seven-event heptathlon.

Ayers-Stamper (Jr., Lacrosse, Wa.) shares the distinction of being the busiest athlete in the meet with Nebraska Omaha's Anastasia Kyvelidou, already named the Div. II athlete of the year. Kyvelidou, a 25-year-old Greek national who is attending graduate school, is also competing in four events, and the two will meet head-to-head in three.

Kyvelidou and Ayers-Stamper will first contest the heptathlon crown. They have the nation's top two qualifying scores. Currently, Ayers-Stamper ranks sixth among Americans in the heptathlon, and she's trying to surpass the automatic qualifying standard of 5500 for the U.S. championships next month in Carson, Ca.

They meet again in Friday's first qualifying heat of the 100-meter hurdles and again Saturday in the javelin.

At the national indoor meet in March, Kyvelidou won the triple jump while Ayers-Stamper captured the high jump. Kyvelidou also finished ahead of Ayers-Stamper in both the hurdles and long jump.

Seattle Pacific has four title contenders altogether. Lauren VerMulm (Fr., Mount Vernon, Wa.) is is No. 2 in the javelin. The men have the top decathlon qualifier in Chris Randolph (Jr., Lone Tree, Co.) and Paul Mach (Sr., Seattle, Wa./King's) is No. 2 among 800-meter runners.

Completing the cast of SPU qualifiers are pole vaulter Amy Harris (Jr., Corvallis, Or.), 800 runner Bridgette Sexton (Fr., LaCenter, Wa.), heptathlete Kelsey Cooley (Fr., Missoula, Mt.) and javelin thrower Molly Hornbuckle (Fr., Burien, Wa./Highline).