2013 Mt. SAC Relays Results (Day 1)

2013 Bryan Clay Invitational


Walnut, CA – In Southern California for a weekend of various meets, Academy of Art University had some of its biggest moments come at the 55th Annual Mt. SAC Relays inside Hilmer Lodge Stadium. This was the third consecutive season that the Urban Knights participated in the event and senior Briana Stewart was one of the most significant highlights Friday as she made a major statement in the 400m hurdles.

Stewart had offered four attempts in the event prior to Mt. SAC, but none were quite like her performance this time. The senior from Oakland, CA powered to the top time in her heat, 59.26, and found herself not only with the third-lowest time overall, but an automatic qualifier to the NCAA National Championships in the 400mH.

She was right amongst the leaders of the 42-hurdler field, positioned between loads of Division I talent representing San Diego State, Arkansas, Iowa State, and Washington. The time was also a program record and makes Stewart the first Urban Knight to break the 1:00.00 barrier in the 400mH. In that same event, Dominique Berry posted a new career-best of 1:01.21.

The 400mH was not the only event Stewart excelled in on Friday. ART U had the rare opportunity to have a foursome compete in the women's 4x100m shuttle hurdle and sent the team of Vashti Thomas, Stewart, Julian Purvis, and Dinesha Bean to represent. Dominant as ever, the group delivered a #1 time of 54.04. This was also the first time ART U as a program has participated in such an event in the history of its program.

Individually, Bean exploded through the 100m hurdles to finish 2nd in a field of 51 competitors with a time of 13.37. It was her best mark of the season and made her the fourth Urban Knight to auto qualify for the NCAA National Championships. She will join Thomas, Purvis, and Stewart in the event.

Freshman Keanna Moody continued her stellar outdoor season in the 400m dash on Friday as well. Moody won her heat outright and placed 21st overall out of a field of 65 with a new program record of 55.34. It would mark the third consecutive week in which the Lincoln, NE native has dropped her time down and puts her now 13th in NCAA Division II.

In her second 5000m race this outdoor season, senior Jenny Bergren brought her time down significantly en route to 2nd overall with a new season-best of 16:29.38. Bergren, the program's first All-American in cross country this past fall, had already been #2 in NCAA DII following the Cal-Nevada Championships, but she knocked more than 15 seconds off that previous time for another strong NCAA provisional qualifier.

Senior Jesseka Raymond became the first ART U athlete to compete in the heptathlon one day prior to the aforementioned action at the Mt. SAC Relays. She delivered program records in the high jump (5-1.25/1.56m) and shot put (37-1.75/11.32m) along with a 100-7 (30.66m) in the javelin, 24.40 in the 200m, 13.98 in the 100mH, 2:42.16 in the 800m, and 18-1.5 (5.52m) in the long jump for a total score of 4972.

The men's side saw a season-best from redshirt freshman Johnny Carter in the long jump and a strong performance in the triple jump as well. The Bakersfield, CA native soared to a new NCAA DII #1 distance of 25 feet flat in the long jump. He added a 50-4 in the triple and claimed 3rd place in each competition at Mt. SAC. Having already held the top mark in both events coming in, Carter further validated why he will be vying for another jumps crown in the NCAA National Championships come May.


Azusa, CA – In an impromptu meet for ART U Men's Track & Field, a small contingent of Urban Knights were in action at the 5th Annual Bryan Clay Invitational hosted by Azusa Pacific. Among the highlights at Cougar Stadium were season-bests by freshmen Clemens Kammer and Jens Alban in the 800m.

Both Academy of Art University teams will return to action tomorrow for the second day of Mt. SAC Relays and the Beach Invitational.