BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University's Clara Cook (Jr., Wenatchee) came back to win the heptathlon and former Viking Josh Freeman earned a fifth straight victory in the decathlon Monday at the WWU Spring Forward Multi-Events meet held at Civic Stadium.

Cook, who was third after four events Sunday, placed first with 3,687 points, 69 more than runner-up Raquel Gonzalez from Central Washington (3,618). The Vikings' Michelle Howe (Fr., Lakewood), who was the first-day leader, placed third with 3,583 points.

Freeman, who was competing unattached, easily claimed the decathlon crown with 6,345 points, 651 more than the runner-up. Freeman won while representing Western in 2004 and 2005.

Cook had marks of 14-5 1/2 (403) in the long jump and 86-4 (407) in the javelin before finishing with the best 800-meter time of 2:34.41 (639). Gonzalez had respective marks of 12-9 1/2 (285) and 91-6 (437) in the long jump and javelin and ran the 800 in 2:35.24 (629).

Howe, who entered the day with a 147-point lead over Gonzalez and a 176-point advantage over Cook, struggled in the javelin with a toss of 46-4 (181). She had a long jump of 14-3 1/2 (393) and ran the 800 in 2:38.11 (595).

Freeman, who had a 242-point lead after five events Sunday, began the day by having bests of 15.77 (759) in the 110 hurdles and 125-7 (630) in the discus. He cleared 12-11 1/2 (603) in the pole vault, threw the javelin 152-10 (538) and ran the 1,500 in 4:57.34 (575).

Central Washington's Nick Collins, who entered Monday in second place, fell to sixth with 4,644 points.

Three Western athletes finished second, third and fourth. They were Darren Edwards (So., Arlington), 5,694; Alex Harrison (R-Fr., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway), 5,620; and Kevin Iverson (Jr., Mill Creek/Jackson), 5,098. Each had a day's best, Edwards clearing 13-3 1/2 (631) in the pole vault, Harrison throwing 167-5 (604) in the javelin and Iverson having a 4:42.46 (665) clocking in the 1,500.

Central's Josh Kirk placed fifth with 4,918 points.

In the heptathlon, Northwest's Shayna Prause finished fourth (3,533), and Central's Amanda Rose and Mary Seidler were fifth (3,254) and sixth (3,074), respectively.