2013 USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field All-Region Team

New Orleans, LA -- Continuing their success from the indoor season, Academy of Art University Track & Field collected 30 outdoor All-Region honors spread across eight women and five men as announced by the nation's foremost track and field organization on Friday. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) stated that the top five from each region in individual events and each member of a relay ranked in the region's top three have earned the All-Region distinction for this season.

ART U's Vashti Thomas won awards in six events, tied for the most in the country on the women's side with Johnson C. Smith's Samantha Elliot. She captured All-Region honors in the 200m, 100mH, 4x100m, 4x400m, Long Jump, and Triple Jump. Jesseka Raymond (100m, 100mH, 4x100m, Heptathlon) and Briana Stewart (100mH, 400mH, 4x100m, 4x400m) were right behind her with four honors each for the Urban Knights. Dinesha Bean (100mH, 4x100m), Dominique Berry (400mH, 4x400m), and Keanna Moody, (400m, 4x400m) each earned two honors apiece while Jenny Bergren (5,000m), and Julian Purvis (100mH) also made the list.

On the men's side, ART U had two Knights earn multiple awards. Johnny Carter (Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4x100m) and Jaylon Hicks (100m, 4x100m) led the way for ART U. Shaquille Howard (400m) made a repeat appearance from the indoor season while both Erik Piedad and Ronald Spears, Jr. represented the men's 4x100m relay team. 

All 13 Urban Knights will be in action at this year's 2013 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships in Pueblo, CO next week on May 23-25.