2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships Results (Final)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Academy of Art University departed the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships with quite a bit of hardware on Saturday. Mobolade Ajomale successfully defended his national title in the 100m, added another in the 200m and ART U produced All-Americans in the men's 4x100m relay and the women's 100m hurdles.

"I am extremely proud of everyone who competed this weekend," said head coach Kevin LaSure. "This meet was special in so many ways. I watched a group of young men and women come together as a team and compete for one another. The men really wanted to send seniors Marlon Britton and Gatien Airiau out on a high note and they really gave it everything they had to make that possible. Everyone really stepped up this weekend and showed that they really believed in what we have been working on all season."

At the start of the day, Ajomale joined Marlon Britton, Nicolas Morales Williams, and Arrun Palacio for a strong performance in the 4x100m. After qualifying through the prelims by just 0.001, the Urban Knights showed they absolutely belonged in the final, finishing fifth overall with a time of 40.60 for All-American honors.

"The men's 4x100m relay really came together and competed as one unit," said LaSure. "I always tell them we need to run one 400m race and not four 100m races and, this weekend, I think they really started to understand what that meant."

Marion Presigny nearly bettered her lifetime-best mark set the day prior in the prelims, going 13.72 on Saturday. The effort had her eighth by 0.01 and resulted in an All-American trophy.

"Marion ran two great hurdle races this weekend, both lifetime-bests, and she definitely showed that she belonged amongst the best hurdlers in the country," said LaSure. "I am really happy with the way she competed all weekend."

Already with an All-American honor on the day, Ajomale proved he was the fastest man at 100m in NCAA Division II with an explosive performance in the event finals. He fended off Pitt State's NaRon Rollins for first-place, crossing the finish line at 10.18 which was just 0.01 off of his lifetime-best and ART U record. The mark was tied for the 10th fastest in DII history.

Ajomale would return in the 200m slightly over an hour after his 100m dominance and upped the ante. He dropped the eighth-fastest time DII has ever seen with a 20.45, bettering Eastern New Mexico's Marcus Parker and Rollins once more. The effort made him an eight-time national champion in his career and a 14-time All-American.

"To say I felt great would be an understatement," said Ajomale. "Every year after Nationals, people ask me why I'm not smiling or excited and I say, 'It's because I know I'm capable of so much more.' This weekend was the first time I've left a National Championship genuinely happy with my performance."

"What Bolade accomplished this weekend was very impressive," said LaSure. "He is an extremely special athlete and a pleasure to coach."

In the men's 5000m, Airiau closed his collegiate career with a 16th-place finish, going 14:51.74. He would still go out a national champion after his success against many of the same runners in Saturday's event the day prior in the 3000m steeplechase.

The men's team finished seventh with 34 total points summing the men's 4x100m (four points), Ajomale's two national championships (20 total points), and Airiau's 3000m steeplechase title (10 points). On the women's side, Hannah Hensley's second-place finish in the heptathlon (eight points) combined with Presigny's 100mH (one point) for a total of nine points and 32nd overall.