AZUSA, Calif. –- First-day leader Emily Pearson of Colorado State used 3 solid marks during the second day of competition to finish with a career-best 5,204 points and win the California Invitational heptathlon hosted by Azusa (Calif.) Pacific University Thursday afternoon.

Pearson’s effort was good enough to held off a fast-charging teammate Tonya Cure, a fellow junior out of Colorado State, who rallied from tenth place to second by posting 3 straight season-bests during today’s competition, including a personal-record 125’ 3” throw in the javelin. Cure finished with 4,966 points, less than 30 points off her personal best. Pearson’s final point total provisionally qualifies her for the NCAA Division I championship meet.

USC’s Lindsey Oman, competing in her first heptathlon in nearly 2 years, rallied late by winning the 800 meters (2:19.51) to finish third overall with a personal-record 4,891 points. Liz Fuller of Washington was fourth with 4,845 points, narrowly edging Kelsey Rubeor, who tallied 4,808 points.

The 30-athlete field of the California Invitational Heptathlon had to consistently fight through 40-mile an hour wind gusts that plagued the final 2 events of the day.

In the Mt. SAC Relays heptathlon, Arizona State junior Jacquelyn Johnson, the reigning NCAA Division I heptathlon champion, rallied over the final 2 events, using a 134-4 javelin and a 2:23.48 in the 800 to catch Lauryn Jordan and win the event with an NCAA qualifying 5,681 points. Jordan finished second with 5,526 points.

UC Irvine junior Lauren Collins, who during yesterday’s competition won the high jump, came back today to close the heptathlon with a victory in the 800 meters (2:18.89) and in so doing set the school record with 5,446 points, good enough for third place overall.

Azusa Pacific junior Zora Golsevka also broke the school record, registering 5,131 points to best Carman Gage’s 13-year old standard of 5,039.

First-day leader Angela Whyte was forced out of the competition following a slight ankle sprain suffered in the long jump.

Chris Richardson, the reigning Big West Conference champ who is currently redshirting the season at Long Beach State, won the Mt. SAC Relays decathlon with a personal-record 7,871. Richardson used a monster throw in the javelin, a toss of 195’ 5” that was 16 feet further than his nearest competitor, to run away from the field and build a large enough cushion that he could cruise to the victory through the 1500 meters. Richardson took the lead during the second event (long jump) yesterday and never let go of it.

Former Seattle Pacific great and NCAA Division II champ Chris Randolph was second with a personal-record 7.798 points. Randolph won the 1500 but was unable to catch Richardson in the overall standings, as Richardson closed in over the final 150 meters to trail Randolph by only 17 seconds in the 1500.

In winning the California Invitational decathlon, University of Washington senior Blake Bidleman recorded his first-ever 7,000-point decathlon, tallying a personal-best 7,006 points, and in the process he comes only the eight Husky ever to score 7,000 points. During Thursday’s competition, Bidleman posted PRs in the 110-meter hurdles (14.74) and 1500 (4:25.93) to make sure he eclipsed the unique plateau.

Southern Utah’s Brian Taylor was second with 6,806 points.