2018 UW Invitational Results

SEATTLE – Day two of the University of Washington Invitational featured standout performances from multiple Urban Knights inside the Dempsey Indoor on Saturday. Mobolade Ajomale turned heads with his top performances in the 60m and for his 4x400m relay team while Swann Phelippeau debuted with the second-fastest mile in Academy of Art history and a NCAA Division II Nationals provisional in the process.

The men's 60m was one to watch as Ajomale flew to a 6.81 in the prelims to finish second of 24 sprinters and assure his spot in the last round. Up against professionals as well as sprinters from Stanford, Washington, and Eastern Washington in the finals, Ajomale powered to a 6.75 to capture the event title. He remains second overall in NCAA DII with his converted 6.69 from December's Mines Alumni Classic & Multi.

Ajomale would return in the day's final event, the men's 4x400m relay, and he lit up the track once more. After the baton had been passed from Michael Houston to Christian Carter to Kaze Poitier, Ajomale accepted the challenge of being a significant distance back of event leader University of Washington and proceeded to not only catch but surpass his competitor by a large margin down the final straightaway. In addition to the win, ART U's collective 3:16.01 gave them their first Nationals provisional of the year, putting them close to the top 10 in the country.

In the women's mile, Phelippeau hung with a pack of NCAA DI runners in her heat and ended up in the middle of the entire collection of runners with a time of 4:59.43. The mark was the second-fastest time in ART U program history behind All-American miler Jenny Bergren's record 4:50.03 and put Phelippeau among the Nationals provisional qualifiers in what would be the top 10 heading into the week.

The women's triple jump also saw a Nationals provisional from Rian Young-Werner who, on her final of six attempts, flew to a 39-4 (11.99m). Finishing seventh of 34 in the event, she immediately launches into the NCAA DII top 10 with the mark.

Two personal records saw Urban Knights make it among the program's top five in the 800m as Ashley Brown took over the women's fifth spot with a 2:19.15 and Victor Moreau became fourth for the men at 1:55.45. Program record-holder Beatriz Martinez Mercado's season debut saw her go 2:16.21 for 36th out of 60 runners.

The women's 400m saw Schae Graham deliver a 56.73 not far off her season-best for 16th of 62 while Christian Carter offered his ART U career-best of 49.21 in an 11th-place finish out of 33 competitors.

Opening the day in the qualifying round of the women's 60m hurdles, Marion Presigny ran strong with an 8.95 for fourth of 45 and a spot in the prelims. In a race loaded with professional hurdlers, Presigny ended up short of the finals after going 8.96 in her follow-up.

Academy of Art will next make its second consecutive appearance at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic next weekend, returning to Michigan for the two day meet (Feb. 2-3).