2018 Husky Classic Results
SEATTLE – Hitting their strides as the season quickly approaches the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, many Urban Knights delivered their best marks of the year at the second and final day of the Husky Classic inside the Dempsey Indoor.
"Across the board, we are taking steps in the right direction," said director of track & field/cross country
Torrey Olson said. "Confidence is building and I'm looking forward to another good day of competition Sunday."
The best time
Schae Graham has run at 400m this year came Saturday with a 56.24 on the track. She rises to just outside NCAA Division II's top 15 with the provisional mark.
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After continuing to post times close to her lifetime-best leading up to this meet,
Marion Presigny initially qualified through the 60m hurdles prelims with an 8.74 before breaking through for her fastest time as an Urban Knight in the finals. She dropped an 8.62 in the finals which should have her within or right outside the top 10 in DII by the weekend's end.
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Both ART U 4x400m relay teams also offered their top marks of the year. The women combined the efforts of Presigny, Graham,
Beatriz Martinez Mercado, and
Jasmine Grace for a 3:49.56 that should have them right off the top 10 in the country.
Then the men's squad of
Michael Houston,
Christian Carter,
Kaze Poitier, and
Mobolade Ajomale once again found themselves trailing two other teams in the anchor leg, but Ajomale closed the final 200m in absolutely dominant fashion, dramatically catching both Alaska Anchorage and California for the Knights' 3:14.03 mark that likely ups them to top 10 in the nation.
Though not his fastest time of the year, Ajomale was unquestionably first in the 60m, going 6.84 in the prelims then 6.74 in the finals. That time was his best at the Dempsey Indoor this season and matched the mark he had at the Hillsdale "Wide-Track" Classic last weekend. He is still second in all of NCAA Division II with his converted 6.69 from the Mines Alumni Classic & Multi.
In the women's 800m,
Ashley Brown built upon her previous career-best which came inside the Dempsey Indoor late last month. On Saturday, she bettered that time with a 2:18.47 good for fourth in program history. The men's 800m saw
Rabah Houali run strong with a 1:53.50 that had him third of 34 competitors in the event.
The Knights' three-day stay in Seattle concludes tomorrow, Feb. 11, with the University of Washington Indoor Open. ART U will start with the women's 60mH and both the men's and women's long jumps at 9 a.m. inside the Dempsey Indoor.
"We had some really good performances today," said head coach
Kevin LaSure. "A lot of our student-athletes are starting to put some things together and really understand their events. We're looking forward to tomorrow's competition."
