2012 Flotrack Husky Classic Results

Seattle, WA – Junior Vashti Thomas continued her dream indoor season by besting the three-time NCAA Division II defending champion in the 60m hurdles and setting yet another Academy of Art University record. This time, in the 2012 Flotrack Husky Classic hosted by the University of Washington, Thomas sprinted to an 8.19 mark in the finals of the 60mH, snatching two 1st place finishes inside Dempsey Indoor. Also among the highlights Saturday was senior Amos Maru's 8:16.25 time in the 3000m which dominated his record time set last weekend in Nampa, ID.

“I was kind of nervous like always, but while warming up and stretching, I did a lot of things well and I think that really reflected in my race,” Thomas said. “It was amazing to run.”

“Vashti continues to put the pieces together in the hurdles,” head coach Charles Ryan said. “She should be looking at a big break-through for the USA Indoor Championships and she also made a big statement beating the three-time defending NCAA Champion twice today.”

In both the preliminaries and the finals, Thomas was pit against Indria Spence of Adams State who has enjoyed tremendous national success in her track & field career. However, when the final marks came in (8.32q, 8.19), it was Thomas who surpassed her opponent by a considerable margin. A determined competitor, Thomas explained how she had not been fazed.

“If I think about stuff like that, then it messes up my focus,” Thomas said. “I just try to relax and I've been doing well lately so I know what to do and how it feels. I have to do what I know I can do and the results will be there.”

Both of Thomas' times were among the Top 5 for Academy of Art with the 8.19 mark serving as the new record. This weekend in Seattle represents the final meet before the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships which take place on Feb. 26-27. For Thomas, there have been numerous records broken in five weekends on the indoor track and her excitement has not waned one bit.

“It's been unreal and just hard to imagine,” Thomas said. “Obviously professionals do well consistently and just to be in this situation, I never thought I would have been here so early. It's mind-blowing and at the same time, I feel like I should be doing this. It's just crazy that it's really happening.”

Senior Kristen Sanzari furthered her grip on the top ART U mark in the 800m with a 2:18.20 performance Saturday. She now holds three of the top four slots in Urban Knight history for the event.

Also on the women's side, the foursome of Thomas, senior Jazmin White, junior Dominique Berry, and sophomore Chantel King teamed up for a 3:52.76 mark in the 4x400m relay. That time is second only to the one they posted last weekend in the Boise State Bronco Classic on the ART U record books.

“All the girls ran extremely hard,” Coach Ryan said. “They were aggressive and showed a lot of heart, but in the end we made mistakes and fell short of the goal. We can run better and we WILL run better.”


Leading the way for the Academy of Art University men's track & field team, Amos Maru had an impressive race in the 3000m. He boasted a time of 8:16.25 which not only topped his previous #1 time, but did so by more than 17 seconds. Maru claimed 11th in a 53-runner field.

“I was very pleased with how Amos executed the race,” assistant coach Ben DeLand said. “He ran smart and had very consistent splits throughout. He just raced the guys. The race played out very well for him and he reacted well during it. In our first real distance race of the season, I couldn't ask for a better place for him to be right now.”

“Amos had a great race today,” Coach Ryan said. “It was very exciting and I was really happy to see him compete so well indoors.”

Alongside his fellow Kenyan countryman in the 3000m, senior Daveson Marindich also bested his time from last weekend with a solid 8:29.66.

“Dave ran the same meet last year and was five seconds faster this year so it shows that he's in a better place and will be looking to build off of that in the outdoor,” Coach DeLand said.

Freshman Jaylon Hicks continued his dominance in the 60m dash with a 6.92 qualifying time followed by a 6.90 mark in the final round. Hicks finished in the Top 8 in both races and his 6.90 time ties the one he set in the University of New Mexico Invite which is second on the Academy of Art University All-Time Record list.

One week after setting the new ART U triple jump record, Reneilwe "Neil" Aphane crushed that mark with a 49-2.25 jump Saturday. The fifth place finisher in a field of 16, he now currently holds the top three marks in Urban Knight history.

“Neil jumped well today, but he is still working through some injuries and most definitely has more in the tank.”

Although the Husky Classic is now complete, the University of Washington will still act as the host of the UW Indoor Open all day tomorrow, Feb. 12.