April 7, 2003

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University's LeAnne Evans (So., Steilacoom) came back to win the heptathlon and Central Washington University's Chris Peterson hung on to claim victory in the decathlon at the WWU/Spring Forward Multi-Events meet that concluded Monday at Bellingham's Civic Stadium.

Evans finished with 4,048 points, 77 better than runner-up Kendra Caprye (3,971) from University of Washington. Evans trailed Caprye by 69 points after four events the first day.

Evans went 15-5 in the long jump, threw the javelin 102-11 and ran the 800 meters in 2:33.54. Caprye had marks of 16-1 3/4 and 96-6, respectively, in the long jump and javelin; and had an 800 clocking of 2:48.34.

Carol West (unattached) placed third (3,853), followed by Seattle Pacific University's Laura Widman (3,717), who was hampered by a hamstring injury.

Western's Jackie McCall (Fr., Spokane/Medical Lake) (3,505) and Nena Dodge (Jr., Bow/Burlington-Edison) (2,513) finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Placing seventh was Central's Amanda von Jentzen (2,043).

Widman had the day's best efforts in the javelin (108-0) and 800 (2:30.54), and West had the best mark in the long jump (16-7 1/2).

Peterson, who led by 219 points after the first day, won by 109 with 6,188 points to 6,079 for a hard-charging Michael Morrison's (unattached).

Morrison led by eight points after the day's first event, running the 110 hurdles in 15.50 for 790 points. But Peterson came right back with 628 points in the discus (125-4) to take a 164-point lead as Morrison managed just 458 points with a toss of 97-3 3/4.

Both Peterson and Morrison cleared 11-11 1/4 (519) in the pole vault. Morrison bettered Peterson in the last two events of the day, throwing the javelin 148-1 (517) and running the 1,500 in 4:52.62 (603), but Peterson had a mark of 137-10 (471) in the javelin and had a 1,500 clocking of 4:58.70 (567).

Josh Freeman (unattached) placed third (6,070), just nine points behind Morrison. Freeman ran the hurdles in 15.77, had marks of 120-0 in the discus, 12-3 1/4 in the pole vault and 147-3 in the javelin; and ran the 1,500 in 4:64.59.

Central's Cresap Watson finished fourth (5,242), followed by Seattle Pacific's Jason Radel (4,848) and Central's Curt Moon (1, 970).

Morrison had the best efforts of the day in the hurdles and javelin, Peterson in the discus, Freeman in the pole vault and Radel in the 1,500 (4:49.50).