2019 St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartan Invitational Results
Staten Island, N.Y. – Academy of Art track & field resumed its indoor season with confidence on Friday, delivering three new NCAA Nationals provisional qualifiers inside the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex for the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartan Invitational.
Mobolade Ajomale's 60m,
Hannah Hensley's high jump, and newcomer
Camille Jouanno's triple jump were among the collection of highlights that ushered in 2019.
Early on in the day's events, Ajomale made his highly-anticipated 2019 debut in the 60m dash. The 14-time All-American took his first steps toward a defense of his
national title in the event with a 6.80 mark to place him first of 65 sprinters at the meet and provisionally qualify him to compete at Nationals. He slots into sixth in the country to start the calendar year.
Later in the 4x200m, Ajomale teamed up with
Arrun Palacio,
Daquan Berry, and
Christian Carter for the fastest time in program history. Their collective 1:28.12 had them first of 16 teams by more than a full second.
Returning to the event that she
hoisted an All-American trophy in two years ago, Hensley outlasted 22 other high jumpers for a Nationals provisional height of 5-7 (1.70m). The mark initially puts her into a tie for the eighth in the country thus far.
Only three NCAA Division II student-athletes had surpassed 40 feet in the triple jump thus far in 2018-19 and Jouanno joined that elite club on Friday. She flew to a 40-5.5 (12.33m) in her second and lone qualifying attempt, placing first of the 27 jumpers there while Young-Werner took second. It is the second-farthest distance achieved by an Urban Knight to date and puts Jouanno behind only 11-time All-American
Vashti Thomas on the ART U list.
Jouanno would also put her talents on display in the 60m hurdles, qualifying with Hensley from the prelims to finals. Jouanno would drop from 9.02 in the prelim to 8.98 in the finals, taking second while Hensley finished eighth in the last race.
In his first collegiate 1000m,
Rabah Houali and
Victor Moreau both carried strong cross country performances to the track, finishing first and second of 23 runners. With his time of 2:29.02, Houali would break an ART U record set eight years ago by
Amos Maru while Moreau took over the second position all-time with his 2:30.25 mark.
A program record was also set on the women's side as
Latavia Hawkins put a five-year-old time to rest with her 1:19.46 for second of 26 runners on Friday. She surpasses
Dominique Berry for the top spot on Academy of Art's historical list.
Like the men's relay, the women's 4x200m was also memorable as
Hava Turner,
Darria Matthias,
Selena Arjona-Alcazar, and
Rian Young-Werner combined for the top time. Their 1:42.87 had them first of 20 teams by nearly two full seconds and was the second-fastest result in program history.
Building off her Nationals provisional at the
Mines Alumni Classic & Multi, Matthias was once again at the forefront of the competitors in the 60m. Her 7.74 time claimed her second of 84 sprinters while Arjona-Alcazar was just over the eight-second barrier at 8.03 in ninth overall.
In individual action, Berry's first 200m at ART U saw him take fourth of 68 with a time of 22.28. Matthias put forth a 25.72 for second of 91 in the women's 200m. Carter earned sixth of 44 in the 400m, going 49.35.
Tomorrow, Academy of Art will finish its weekend in New York with a new meet inside The Armory: The College of New Jersey Lions Indoor Invitational.
