Complete Results

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (May 4) ­ Tracie Lundsten's victory in the women's pole vault highlighted a Seattle Pacific University surge to finish the first day of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference track and field championships Friday night at Civic Stadium.

Down 42-9 to Western Oregon after four events, the Falcons grabbed the momentum going into Saturday's remaining 16 finals by scoring 32 points in pole vault and women's 10,000-meter run.

SPU, the defending champion and runaway conference indoor winner, has 41 points to stand third. Northwest Nazarene (53) and Western Oregon (52) head the field.

Lundsten (Fr., Banks, Or.) matched her career best to clear 11 feet, 7 3/4 inches and win the vault on her final attempt. Her teammate, indoor champ Monica Anderson (Jr., Bremerton, Wa.), was second at 11-3 3/4. It's the third year in a row that an SPU vaulter has won the GNAC title.

To wrap-up the evening on the oval, Katie Hart (So., Pasadena, Ca.) led a trio of Falcons through the 10k. Hart was third in a 59-second personal record of 39 minutes, 56.88 seconds. Nikki Jensen (Sr., Portland, Or./St. Mary's) was fourth (40:01.79) and Heidi Peterson (So., Edmonds, Wa./King's) sixth (41:04.27).

In the other final featuring an SPU competitor. NyEma Sims (Fr., Portland, Or./Jefferson) hit an outdoor PR of 17-1 1/2 to land fifth in the long jump.

There was more good news when the women's 800 prelim was canceled after several scratches. The provided rest for Jessica Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake), who is the top seed and tripling in that event along with the 1500 and 3000. Pixler will run three finals Saturday.

The SPU men added eight points with a runner-up finish by Justin Felt (Fr., Eugene, Or./Churchill) in the long jump. Felt's first try proved to be his best at 22-5 3/4. Alaska Anchorage's David Registe won with a meet record of 23-3 1/4.

Central Washington is the men's leader with 56 points. Seattle Pacific, getting all of its points from Felt, who was fourth in the heptathlon, is fifth with 13.

In qualifying heats, all of the Falcons' top runners advanced. Sims was first in the 100 (12.54) and third in the 200 (26.19). Jessica Hinton (Fr., Lake Stevens, Wa.) was No. 2 in the 200 (26.03) and third in the 100 (12.74).

Top seed and defending champion Eddie Strickler (Sr., Richland, Wa.) eased into the 800 final in 1:55.00.

Latasha Essien (Fr., Portland, Or./Reynolds) scratched out of the short sprints after straining a hamstring in training Wednesday. Essien owned the No. 2 entry mark in the 100 and No. 3 in the 200. She also ran on both relays.

Team Scores:
Men (5 events) - Central Washington 56, Western Oregon 47, Northwest Nazarene 22, Western Washington 17, Alaska Anchorage 13, Seattle Pacific 13, Saint Martin's 12, Seattle 12.
Women (6 events) - Northwest Nazarene 53, Western Oregon 52, Seattle Pacific 41, Central Washington 38 1/2, Western Washington 26 1/2, Alaska Anchorage 14, Saint Martin's 9.