BERKELEY, Calif. – On a day when one athlete dominated the competition at the California Multis, Ali Worthen and Crystal Sims of Seattle Pacific kept themselves in the hunt for a top-5finish.

Falcons junior Worthen sits in fifth place, seventh overall, and senior Sims is right behind her in sixth in their group and eighth overall after the first four events of the women's heptathlon at Edwards Stadium and Goldman Field.

Worthen (Coos Bay, Ore.), boosted by a second-place finish in the high jump, completed Wednesday's first-day competition with 2,955 points. Sims (Portland, Ore.), whose top performance was third place in the shot put, is sitting in sixth with 2,930.

Sharon Day of the Asics club team won all four of Wednesday's events – the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200-meter dash – to pile up 3,594 points. That leaves her with a 573-point bulge on second-place Joenisha Vinson of Portland State in their group and a 355-point overall lead heading into Thursday's long jump, javelin, and 800 meters.

But Vinson, with 3,021 points, is well within reach of both Worthen and Sims in Group A.

The Falcons also have two competitors in Group B, and they also are in position to improve their status on Thursday.

Sophomore Katy Gross (Everett, Wash./Cascade HS), winner of last month's Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor pentathlon title, is in fourth place with 2,669 points in the group and 13th overall. As expected, Gross' top event on Wednesday was the high jump, as she placed second at 5 feet, 4½ inches (1.64 meters) for 783 points. She also was fourth in both the 100 hurdles and in the shot put.

Senior Jennifer Pike (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS), runner-up to Gross in the GNAC indoor pentathlon, is fifth in the group and 16th overall with 2,440 points. Pike was steady through all four events. She won her heat of the 200 in 26.73 seconds for 734 points, and was third overall in that event. She also was fifth in the 100 hurdles, tied for fifth in the high jump, and was sixth in the shot put.

Annett Fleming, competing unattached, leads Group B with 3,249 points. Gross, with her 2,669 total, is just 36 points out of third place heading into Thursday's final three events.

JOHNSON 6TH HALFWAY THROUGH DECATHLON
Seattle Pacific sophomore Nate Johnson is in sixth place among the 15 competitors in his group and is 18th overall at the midpoint of the men's decathlon at the Cal Multis.

Johnson (Boise, Idaho) came up with three solid performance on Wednesday to put himself into the upper middle portion of the pack. He was fifth in the shot put at 31 feet, 8¾ inches (9.67 meters), tied for fifth in the high jump at 5-9¼ (1.76 meters), and was sixth in the meet-opening 100-meter dash in 11.72 seconds. Johnson also was 10th in the long jump and 12th in the 400 meters.

Jeremy Thompson of the Santa Rose Club won two events and has the Group B lead with 3,340 points. The overall leader is former SPU multi-sport star Chris Randolph, now competing for the Slo Wellness club. He has 3,947 points.

The next step up from Johnson in fifth place is Andrew Mashler of Frenso State with 3,040 points. Mashler won the long jump.

The final five events on Thursday are the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500 meters.


NCAA WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
California Multis
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Edwards Stadium and Goldman Field/Berkeley, Calif.

GROUP A
(Through 4 of 7 events)

Overall – 1, Sharon Day (Asics) 3,594. SPU competitors – 5, Ali Worthen 2,955; 6, Crystal Sims 2,930.
100 hurdles – 1, Day (Asics) 13.92 (990 points). SPU placers – 5, Sims 14.81 (867); 7, Worthen 15.11 (827).
High jump – 1, Day (Asics) 5-10 ½ / 1.79m (966 points). SPU placers – 2, Worthen 5-5 ¾ / 1.67 (818); T8, Sims 4-11 ¾ / 1.52m (644).
Shot put – 1, Day (Asics) 42-4 ¾ / 12.92m (722 points). SPU placers – 3, Sims 34-5 ¾ / 10.51m (563); 7, Worthen 32-1 / 9.78m (515).
200 – 1, Day (Asics) 24.68 (916 points). SPU placers – 5, Sims 25.34 (856); 6, Worthen 26.03 (795).

GROUP B
(Through 4 of 7 events)

Overall – 1, Annett Fleming (Unattached) 3,249. SPU competitors – 4, Katy Gross 2,669; 5, Jennifer Pike 2,440.
100 hurdles – 1, April Pate (Nevada) 14.40 (793 points). SPU placers – 4, Gross 15.68 (754); 5, Pike 16.19 (691).
High jump – 1, Fleming (Unattached) 5-8 / 1.73m (891 points). SPU placers – 2, Gross 5-4 ½ / 1.64m (783); T5, Pike 4-8 ¼ / 1.43m (544).
Shot put – 1, Fleming (Unattached) 41-9 ¼ / 12.73m (709 points). SPU placers – 4, Gross 31-3 / 9.52m (498); 6, Pike 29-10 ¾ / 9.11m (471).
200 – 1, Pate (Nevada) 25.62 (831 points). SPU placers – 3, Pike 26.73 (734); 9, Gross 27.96 (634).



NCAA MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
California Multis
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Edwards Stadium and Goldman Field/Berkeley, Calif.

GROUP B
(Through 5 of 10 events)

Overall – 1, Jeremy Thompson (Santa Rosa) 3,340. SPU competitor – 6, Nate Johnson 2,819.
100 – 1, Thompson (Santa Rosa) 11.19 (819 points). SPU placer – 6, Johnson 11.72 (707).
Long jump – 1, Andrew Mashler (Fresno State) 21-11 ¾ / 6.70m (743 points). SPU placer – 10, Johnson 18-1 ½ / 5.52m (485).
Shot put – 1, William Phillips (Idaho State) 36-4 ¾ / 11.09m (551 points). SPU placer – 5, Johnson 31-8 ¾ / 9.67m (466).
High jump – 1, Ben Jorgensen (Santa Rosa) 6-3 ¼ / 1.91m (723 points). SPU placer – T5, Johnson 5-9 ¼ / 1.76 m (593).
400 – 1, Thompson (Santa Rosa) 52.00 (725 points). SPU placer – 12, Johnson 55.78 (568).