2018 USTFCCCA NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships Homepage | Schedule

NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships
Friday & Saturday, March 9-10, 2018
Pittsburg, Kansas – Robert W. Plaster Center
Start Lists - Men | Women
Live Results | Live Video (Mar. 9) | Live Video (Mar. 10)

KNIGHTS AROUND THE TABLE
In the milestone 10th year of the program, Academy of Art University track & field fittingly sends a historic squad to Pittsburg, Kansas for the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships this week. Combining nine qualifiers from the men's team (ranked No. 8 in the country) with seven from the women' squad (ranked No. 32 in DII), ART U is ready to continue making history this weekend. Should athletes finish the prelims of their events among the Top 8, they will have an opportunity to earn All-American status and potentially an individual championship in Saturday's finals (long jump, 5000m, and Distance Medley Relay champions are determined Friday).

"I'm proud of the work of our student-athletes and our coaches," said director of track & field/cross country Torrey Olson. "We have a program record number of NCAA qualifiers which is a testament to the growing depth and work ethic of our program. The past few meets have each been a step forward for our student-athletes collectively and the mission this weekend is to deliver the next step forward in as many events as possible."

"This group of student-athletes has worked extremely hard this season to put themselves in a position to compete at the highest level of Division II and I am excited to see them go out and have some fun doing what they love to do," said head coach Kevin LaSure.

TOEING THE LINE
The championships will be held March 9-10 in Pittsburg, Kansas at the Robert W. Plaster Center. Pittsburg State and the Crawford Country Convention & Visitors Bureau will serve as co-hosts of the championships. Portions of the championships will be streamed live on NCAA.com. The following events will feature Urban Knights:
 

Friday, March 9 (local times CT)

Saturday, March 10 (local times CT)

2 p.m. (Noon PT) - Women's Long Jump 2:45 p.m. (12:45 p.m. PT) - Women's 60mH prelims 3 p.m. (1 p.m. PT) - Men's 60m prelims 3:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. PT) - Men's Mile prelims 4:20 p.m. (2:20 p.m. PT) - Women's 400m prelims 4:50 p.m. (2:50 p.m. PT) - Men's Long Jump 5 p.m. (3 p.m. PT) - Women's 800m prelims 5:15 p.m. (3:15 p.m. PT) - Men's 200m prelims 5:55 p.m. (3:55 p.m. PT) - Men's 5000m 6:40 p.m. (4:40 p.m. PT) - Men's Distance Medley Relay 7 p.m. (5 p.m. PT) - Women's Distance Medley Relay

3:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. PT) - Women's Triple Jump 5:10 p.m. (3:10 p.m. PT) - Women's 60mH final 5:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. PT) - Men's 60m final 5:40 p.m. (3:40 p.m. PT) - Men's Mile final 6:10 p.m. (4:10 p.m. PT) - Women's 400m final 6:35 p.m. (4:35 p.m. PT) - Women's 800m final 6:45 p.m. (4:45 p.m. PT) - Men's 200m final 7:25 p.m. (5:05 p.m. PT) - Women's 3000m 7:45 p.m. (5:45 p.m. PT) - Men's 4x400m final 8 p.m. (6 p.m. PT) - Women's 4x400m final

Live coverage will be available at the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter & Instagram and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.
 

AJOMALE TO DEFEND TITLES (60m, 200m)
At Indoor Nationals in 2017, Mobolade Ajomale was truly unstoppable. He captured both the 60m and 200m National Championships in a matter of hours and, if Boston's Last Chance Meet was any indication, he clearly has his sights set on repeating in both events. The regular season's final USTFCCCA National DII Athlete of the Week, Ajomale ran his best 60m time of the season (6.63) and later broke his own NCAA Division II record with a 20.67 in the 200m to assume the top position in DII in each event. He now returns to the site of his first career national title where he shocked the world with a 6.57 in the 60m. He will also be anchoring in the Urban Knights' 4x400m relay that is seventh in the country after Ajomale's 45-second split in Boston.

PRESIGNY PRESSES ON (LJ, 60mH)
After her versatility led her to an All-American trophy in the Pentathlon at Indoor Nationals last year, Maion Presigny has honed in on the long jump and 60m hurdles this season. She set new lifetime-bests in both events in 2018, soaring to a 19-6.25 (5.95m) at the Boston Last Chance Meet to clear her previous best by more than six inches and rise to 11th in Division II coming into Nationals. The Fashion Journalism major went 8.62 in the 60mH at the Husky Classic to secure a top 15 time as well. She will also be leading off the Urban Knights' 4x400m relay team that comes in eighth in the nation.

HIT THE GAS (5000m)
Coming off his run to become an NCAA Division II All-American this past cross country season, Gatien Airiau has carried that determination to hoist what would be his first All-American trophy in track & field as well. His impressive performance in the 5000m at the Husky Classic (14:15.79) smashed the program record and has him 15th in the country entering Friday. Airiau also helped Academy of Art break the program record in the Distance Medley Relay, but he will not compete in the event at Nationals due to its proximity to the 5000m.

GRAHAM THE GREAT (400m)
Fresh off the fastest 400m time of her life at the Boston Last Chance Meet, Schae Graham figures to run several 400m distances this week at Nationals. She continued to advance up the DII ranks this season until she ultimately delivered a 55.37 on Feb. 25 for what is now the ninth-fastest time run in the country. The senior remains third and will vie for her first indoor All-American honor after two outdoor relay awards previously in her career. She will also run the second leg of both the Urban Knights' Distance Medley Relay and 4x400m relay quartets who come in ranked 23rd and eighth in the nation respectively.

MICHANE TAKES FLIGHT (LJ)
Picking up USTFCCCA NCAA Division II West Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year honors earlier this week, Michane Ricketts opened the season with not only his best jump at ART U, but the farthest any Urban Knight has gone before. His final attempt at the Mines Alumni Classic & Multi took him 25-3.25 (7.70m) and assured him a place at Nationals right off the bat. Familiar with the territory, the 2017 Long Jump All-American would win four more event titles along the way and enters Friday ranked second in DII in the event.

RIAN'S RETURN (TJ)
After debuting at Indoor Nationals last season, Rian Young-Werner will contend for her first All-American honor this Saturday. The junior lept to a season-best 39-4 (11.99m) at the University of Washington Invitational in late January and has entered the flights ranked 18th in Division II. Young-Werner is currently third in program history with a 40-1.5 (12.23m) from 2017 and she will also handle anchor duties for the Urban Knights' 4x400m relay team that comes in eighth in the nation.

VICTOR-Y (1 Mile)
Victor Moreau impressed by nearly besting Valentin Pepiot's program record in mile just four attempts into his first track & field season with Academy of Art. As it was for many Urban Knights, the Boston Last Chance Meet was the site of Moreau's 4:07.44 mark which currently has him 25th in the country as well and less than a second back of Pepiot. Moreau also finds himself leading off the ART U quartet in the Distance Medley Relay who are ranked 15th entering Friday.

SWANN SONG (3000m)
ART U's lone female representative at Cross Country Nationals this past season, Swann Phelippeau has stepped in as a sophomore and led Academy of Art. Her success carried into this indoor track & field campaign where she confidently set the program record in the 3000m with a 9:44.48 at the UW Open. That time would also keep her among the top 16 in the nation, earning her a chance to compete at Indoor Nationals. The Fashion Design major will also anchor the Urban Knights' Distance Medley Relay which comes in ranked 23rd in the country.

QUEEN B (800m)
Saving her best for last, Beatriz Martinez Mercado dropped the program's 800m record even further at the Boston Last Chance Meet. She would go 2:11.13 to rise to 22nd in Division II, steadily lowering the ART U record by more than five seconds since joining the program in 2016. The Communications & Media Technologies major will also handle the first leg of the Urban Knights' Distance Medley Relay which comes in ranked 23rd in the country.

GOING THE DISTANCE (Men's & Women's Distance Medley Relay)
Academy of Art enters uncharted territory with not one but two DMR teams contending at Indoor Nationals. On the men's side, Moreau, Michael Houston, Rabah Houali, and Joshua Browne are set to improve upon the 9:50.74 school record set at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic which has ART U 15th in Division II. The women took a huge step forward at the Boston Last Chance Meet as Martinez Mercado, Graham, Ashley Brown, and Phelippeau bettered the program record by nearly five full seconds with an 11:39.19. Those four will pass the baton Friday, looking for another move up from their place at eighth in the nation heading in.

FINAL FOUR (Men's & Women's 4x400m)
The men's team will consist of Houston, Christian Carter, Kaze Poitier, and Ajomale who collectively offered the second-fastest time the program has seen (3:12.42) at the Boston Last Chance Meet. They ended the regular season ranked seventh in DII, just outside the group of six automatic qualifiers. For the women, it will be Presigny, Graham, Jasmine Grace, and Young-Werner who, also in Boston, combined to go 3:45.35 for the fifth-fastest time in program history and a mark that has them eighth in the country.

THE NEXT CHAPTER
With the conclusion of their indoor season, ART U resumes its outdoor campaign in full force with the Hornet Invitational hosted by Sacramento State on Mar. 16-17.