BERKELEY, Calif. –Ali Worthen and Crystal Sims never had a chance to finish the heptathlon. Seattle Pacific teammate Nate Johnson was one event short of doing all 10 in the decathlon.

In fact, about the only winner at the California Multis track and field meet on Thursday was the weather, as torrential rains and gusting winds brought a halt to the competition at Edwards Stadium and Goldman Field early in the afternoon.

So while the athletes in the morning sessions – a group that included Falcon sophomore Johnson on the men's side, and SPU's Katy Gross and Jennifer Pike in the women's hep – at least got to contest most or all their second-day events, Worthen and Sims, along with numerous other competitors, never even got started.

“It was four inches of rain and 30-mile-per-hour winds. (Meet officials) made the decision that they didn't want to continue competing,” Seattle Pacific coach Karl Lerum said. “It was a shame that Ali and Crystal couldn't come back and finish their last three events. It wouldn't have been ideal conditions by any means, but I think they could have done reasonably well.”

Worthen (Coos Bay, Ore.) and Sims (Portland, Ore.) both had gotten off to a solid start through Wednesday's first four events. Worthen was fifth in her group and seventh overall with 2,955 points. That total included 818 for her second-place finish in the high jump in which Worthen tied her career-best height of 5 feet, 5¾ inches. She also PR'd in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.11 seconds.

Sims was right behind Worthen in the standings, sitting sixth in the group and eighth overall with 2,930 points. Her highest finish was third in the shot put, and she set a personal-best height of 4 feet, 11 ¾ inches in the high jump to tie for eighth.

At least Falcon sophomore Gross (Everett, Wash./Cascade HS) and senior Pike (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS) had the opportunity to finish what they started. Gross, with consistent performances on Thursday of third place in the long jump, fourth in the javelin and fourth in the 800-meter run, wound up fourth in the group with 4,050 points.

Pike won the meet-ending 800 in 2 minutes, 41.86 seconds, and also was third in the javelin and tied for ninth in the long jump to total 3,849 points.

In spite of not pole vaulting in the men's decathlon competition, Johnson still took fourth place in his group with 4,897 points. He picked up 456 of those with a discus throw of 97 feet even (29.57 meters) to take first place in that event.

Johnson, in his usual consistent style, also was third in the javelin and fourth in the 110-meter hurdles and the 1,500 meters.

In the pole vault, only four of the 14 competitors in Johnson's group even cleared a bare-minimum opening height of 7 feet, 0 ½ inches; winner Ben Jorgensen of the Santa Rose club team eventually cleared 8-0 ½ before competition ended.

“It was absolutely unsafe to pole vault at that point,” Lerum said.

Even Wednesday's weather wasn't what one might expect to find in California, but it was markedly better than what happened on Thursday.

“There was some rain and wind, but at the end, there were some nice patches, too,” Lerum said. “But today was horrendous. Katy and Jen ran their 800 with six inches of water on one side of the track. It was just constant. And there's no cover here. It was wet and windy and cold.”

Among the men not getting to compete in their final five events was former Seattle Pacific star Chris Randolph. Competing for Slo Wellness, Randolph had racked up 3,947 points on Wednesday to lead both Group A and the overall standings.

The SPU group that's in the Bay Area will be hoping for better on Friday and Saturday at the Stanford Invitational. The forecast says rain or showers are likely. But the gusting winds that plagued Thursday's competition in Berkeley, while not disappearing completely, are not expected to be as much of a factor.

Those Falcons not in California will compete in the Club Northwest Spring Break Open at Husky Stadium on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.


NCAA WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
California Multis
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Edwards Stadium and Goldman Field/Berkeley, Calif.

Group B
(7 of 7 events)

Overall – 1, Annett Fleming (Unattached) 4,990 points. SPU placers – 4, Katy Gross 4,050; 5, Jennifer Pike 3,849.
Long jump – 1, Fleming (Unattached) 17-9 ½ / 5.42m (677 points). SPU placers – 3, Gross 16-2 ½ / 4.94m (543); T9, Pike 14-8 ½ / 4.48m (423).
Javelin – 1, Fleming 117-5 / 35.79 meters (587 points). SPU placers – 3, Pike 91-1 / 27.77m (434); 4, Gross 89-1/ 27.15m (423).
800 – 1, Pike 2:41.86 (552 points). Other SPU placer – 4, Gross 2:54.81 (415).

Group A
(4 of 7 events; last 3 events canceled due to weather)
Overall – 1, Sharon Day (Asics) 3,594 points. SPU placers – 5, Ali Worthen 2,955; 6, Crystal Sims 2,930.



NCAA MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
California Multis
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Edwards Stadium and Goldman Field/Berkeley, Calif.

Group B
(10 of 10 events)

Overall – 1, Jeremy Thompson (Santa Rosa) 5,265 points. SPU placer – 4, Nate Johnson 4,897.
110 hurdles – 1, Thompson 15.33 (810 points). SPU placer – 4, Johnson 16.43 (685).
Discus – 1, Johnson 97-0 / 29.57m (456 points).
Pole vault – 1, Ben Jorgensen (Santa Rosa) 8-0 ½ / 2.45m (231 points). Johnson no height.
Javelin – 1, Trevor White (Unattached) 138-10 / 42.33m (476 points). SPU placer – 3, Johnson 124-5 / 37.92m (412 points).
1500 – 1, Wyatt Morgan (Alaska Anchorage) 4:51.30 (611 points). SPU placer – 4, Johnson 5:06.17 (525).

Group A
(5 of 10 events; last 5 events canceled due to weather)
Overall – 1, Chris Randolph (Slo Wellness) 3,947 points. No SPU competitors.