2015 David Hemery Valentine Invitational Results (Day 1 - Women)

2015 Husky Classic Results (Day 1)

On the first of two bi-coastal days competing at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational and University of Washington's Husky Classic, Academy of Art University track & field turned in numerous personal records as well as NCAA provisional qualifying times for both the men's and women's distance medley relays.

BOSTON – Highlighting ART U's work on the east coast in the David Hemery Valentine Invite were numerous PRs for the women's team.

In the 200m, Atiya Harvey led the way with a 24.32 that put her 14th out of 228 competitors. This new #1 mark for Harvey vaults her up to top six in the entire country. That same event also saw PRs from Mistic Scott (24.92) and Chante Sneed (25.39), who both finished in the field's top 50 as well.

Scott lit up the track in the 400m, going 55.82 for a new personal record and the eighth place finish out of 106 sprinters. It would earn Scott a NCAA provisional qualifier as well as make her the third Urban Knight ever to run a sub-56.00 through now five years of indoor track & field at Academy of Art. Schae Graham (57.35) and Sneed (57.70) also had their top times in the ART U red and black.

McKaela Christenson added a program record in the 5000m, going 17:52.33 to surpass Academy of Art legend Jenny Bergren.

In the long jump, Amanda Odesjo soared to a new personal record of 18-0.5 (5.5m). She would finish 12th out of a huge 80-jumper field.

The women's 4x400m relay left one last shining memory in the minds of audience as Scott, Harvey, Graham, and Sneed combined to produce the squad's top time of the year thus far. The quartet went 3:47.98, finishing fifth out of 57 teams and moving into the nation's top five thus far.

"The women really laid down the gauntlet today!" said head coach Charles Ryan. "Seven women delivered a total of nine individual lifetime bests and they threw in a new seasonal best in the 4x400 without our #1 runner on the track! That's a dream meet for any coach. Everyone showed up today and competed hard. That's the focus you want to see as we round the corner into championship preparations. We have a very young women's team, but they all grew up a little bit today. A fantastic job by the ladies, now the men have to step up and match their focus for Saturday. "

SEATTLE – It was a successful debut for the Urban Knights' distance medley relay teams at the Husky Classic with both genders turning in NCAA provisional qualifiers.

On the men's side, it was Mack Marbas, Jordan Edwards, Austin Murray, and Valentin Pepiot who finished first of six teams with a 9:56.38 collective mark.

The women's team was comprised of Elizabeth Khuu, Keanna Moody, Ericka Taylor, and Kaelyn Harbison as they delivered a 12:01.94 to earn the provisional finish as well.

"Those are big-time performances from our distance crew," said Ryan. "It really shows off all the hard work the kids have been putting in and the growth of the program that Torrey Olson has been building, I'm very proud of our distance crew and very optimistic about its future."

Tomorrow in Boston, the ART U men's squad will have their day to compete while numerous men and women will compete in individual events in day two of the Husky Classic.