2017 St. Thomas Aquinas Spartan Regional Invitational

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Academy of Art University track & field offered a host of highlights Friday as both the men's and women's teams started 2017 at the St. Thomas Aquinas Spartan Regional Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. A program record in the high jump came in Hannah Hensley's ART U debut, numerous sprinters competed in their event finals, and long jumpers on both sides offered several top marks with multiple NCAA provisional qualifiers.

"I thought everyone competed tough today," said head coach Kevin LaSure. "It's not easy to compete as tough as they did after a long day of travel the day before and they really stepped up and gave it everything they had. We have a lot of things to improve on, but we definitely made progress in the right direction today."

Launching her Academy of Art career in the high and long jumps, Hensley offered a memorable first impression. She finished tied for first of 15 competitors with a program record 5-7 (1.70m) height good for a NCAA provisional mark right off the bat.

In the long jump, Hensley offered a distance of 18-3.25 (5.57m) that was second behind Marion Presigny who posted an 18-4.25 (5.59m) to lead all 26 jumpers. Although it was 0.01m shy of a NCAA provisional mark, Presigny's distance immediately put her third on the ART U all-time list. The women's long jump also featured Rian Young-Werner's 17-5.5 (5.32m) and Amanda Odesjo's 17-4 (5.28m) which made up a quartet of Urban Knights among only five individuals who started above 17-0 (5.18m).

On the men's side of the long jump, Craig Mattox and Michane Ricketts also excelled, both turning in NCAA provisional marks. Mattox, an All-American in the event last year, started 2017 with a 23-8 (7.21m) distance more than five inches ahead of the next closest competitor. Ricketts was in fact that jumper at 23-2.75 (7.08m), putting both Knights in front of 31 others.

Mattox and Ricketts were strong in the 60m dash as well. Both made it through the prelims (Ricketts won his heat with a 7.09) and Mattox ended up sixth in the finals with a 7.12.

The women's 60m was highlighted by Young-Werner and Odesjo each winning their heats to reach the prelims, but it was Jasmine Grace who had the best time of the day, going 7.93 to finish fifth in the finals.

Young-Werner completed her trio of events with the triple jump where she finished second of 14, soaring to a 37-3 (11.35m) in her final attempt.

Coming off a historic run with the men's cross country team in the fall, Kristian Martinez and Brett Bermudez were strong in their respective events on Friday. Martinez put up the fourth-best time in program history with a 1:57.54 in the 800m while Bermudez was second in the 1000m with a 2:42.44.

"This weekend is about taking a look at our process when it comes to traveling and racing," said director of track & field Torrey Olson. "Today was meet one of three and we had a lot of good things happen. We have the opportunity to correct some things tomorrow as well. After our first glimpse, I am as optimistic as ever."

Marlon Britton and Quinlan Wright packed a solid one-two punch in the 60m hurdles as Britton turned in an 8.36 and Wright went 8.42 to take first and second in the same prelim heat.

Wright was also in action with Kris Everett, Marvin Thomas, and Gatien Airiau in a distance medley relay that finished the first day with the top time in the country. The 10:12.23 mark was fifth all-time in program history.

The Urban Knights will remain in New York for another day of competition with University of Albany's Great Dane Classic (10:30 a.m. ET) and the Towson Tiger Invitational (6 p.m. ET) happening tomorrow.