Kurrat becomes national leader in heptathlon

Idaho’s Manuela Kurrat took over the national collegiate lead in the heptathlon with an easy victory Friday at the Oregon Invitational in Eugene.

The Vandals senior won four of seven individual events and totaled 5,711 points – more than 200 ahead of the season’s previous NCAA leader, Diana Pickler of Washington State. Kurrat had five personal season bests, including a 14.71-second run in the 100-meter hurdles and a 43-foot, 6-inch shot put effort.

In the decathlon, Idaho’s Jereme Richardson retired after leading the first-day competition, clearing the way for Oregon’s Andy Young to win easily with 7,329 points. Eastern Washington’s David Sargent (6,427) and Matt Ludwigson (6,347) were third and fifth, respectively, while Idaho’s Marcus Luckstead took sixth.

•Kristi Dickey and Julie Lauterbach finished 1-2 in the women’s 10,000, helping Whitworth into second place after the first day of the Northwest Conference championships in McMinnville, Ore.

A junior from Richland, Dickey finished in 37 minutes, 49.33 seconds, about 38 seconds ahead of Lauterbach as the Pirates woman totaled 45 points – 22.5 behind defending champion Willamette. The Pirates also got a second place in the long jump in a 17-31/2 leap by Sarah Marken.

The Whitworth men are in sixth after the first day, Willamette having already rolled up a 63-point lead on the rest of the field. The top Pirates finish was a second by Doug Blackburn in the 10,000, his 32:01.44 clocking well behind defending champ Frank Prince of Puget Sound.

Softball

Stephanie Day finished the day 5 for 7 with four home runs, eight RBIs and five runs scored as Community Colleges of Spokane (18-8, 13-3) swept a Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges doubleheader from visiting Treasure Valley at Spokane Falls CC.

Jessie LaPlante threw a three-hitter in the first game as the Sasquatch shut out Treasure Valley 11-0. LaPlante improved to 9-0 in NWAACC play. CCS won the second game 8-3 to complete the sweep.

•UCLA got a grand slam from Jodie Legaspi in the fifth inning as the Bruins (24-10, 5-4) rallied to beat Washington (21-15, 3-6) 4-3 in Pac-10 action in Westwood, Calif.

Tennis

Washington State’s Amy Toth swept Cal’s Tiffany Lee 6-3, 6-2 to earn a berth in the Pac-10 Championship semifinals in Ojai, Calif.

Toth will take on Jessica Leitch of Arizona State University today.