2019 Grand Valley State University Big Meet Friday Results

ALLENDALE, Mich. – Stepping foot inside the Kelly Family Sports Center for the second time this season, Academy of Art track & field impressed once again in the Grand Valley State University Big Meet on Friday. Among the highlights were NCAA Nationals provisional marks from Latavia Hawkins (400m), Ombretta Picciolie Minkue Meye (60m, 200m), Victor Moreau (3000m), and Freddie Hessian (3000m), an automatic qualifier for Mobolade Ajomale in the 400m, and lifetime-bests all around.

Already with the nation's top three times in the 60m and 200m coming into the week, Ajomale proceeded to add another in the 400m with a truly impressive performance that tied the meet record. Nearly a full second in front of the next closest competitor, Ajomale delivered a lifetime-best 46.78 for automatic qualification to Nationals in the event. He was just 0.14 from Jordan Edwards' program record set in 2015. Also in the 400m, Christian Carter turned in a season-best 49.31 for 12th of 41 sprinters on Friday.

"Bolade finally broke the 47second barrier in the 400m which should help a lot with his 200m at the end of the season," said director of track & field/cross country Kevin LaSure.
  
Roughly three hours after his effort in the 400m, Ajomale would return for the 200m. Up against 35 others across eight heats, the 14-time All-American matched his season-best from the TCNJ Lions Indoor Invitational on Jan. 12 by going 21.27 for the top spot. The 200m also saw Roshard Williams finish not far from his season-best with a 22.08 time for 11th place.

An impressive one-two punch came from Academy of Art in the men's 3000m where Moreau and Hessian, both in the same heat, dropped Nationals provisional lifetime-bests of 8:11.88 and 8:14.98 respectively. Both top seven of 48 distance runners in the event, Moreau and Hessian are elevated to top eight in Division II and top four on ART U's all-time list with Friday's results.

"Victor and Freddie showed incredible heart and ran really tough 3000m races this weekend," said LaSure. "We think they both have a lot more room for growth in both the mile and 3000m."

Working progressively better times in the 400m over the month of January, Hawkins dropped the best time she has run in an ART U uniform, going 56.63 for her first Nationals provisional of the season. She finished sixth of 34 in the event.

After finishing fourth of 41 sprinters in the 60m prelims (7.71), Minkue Meye dropped under 7.60 for the first time this year, posting a season-best 7.58 for a runner-up finish in the final. It would improve her position as a provisional qualifier up into Division II's top 15.

The women's 200m saw not just another season-best from Minkue Meye (25.11), but three more from the Urban Knights with Darria Matthias (25.35), Selena Arjona-Alcazar (25.42), and Hava Turner (26.05) all producing their best-times of the year.

In just her second 3000m of the season, Hasna Kaarour cut more than two seconds off her debut time, running a season-best 9:48.45 for 14th of 41 in the event. The Nationals provisional-qualifying result keeps her among the country's top 15 in DII.

Despite not having Ajomale on this occasion, the ART U men's 4x400m relay produced a Nationals provisional mark as Williams, Carter, Arrun Palacio, and Daquan Berry combined to go 3:16.70 for fourth of 12 on the day.

In the women's triple jump, Camille Jouanno offered a 39-1.25 (11.92m) on her fourth attempt, finishing third of nine jumpers in the event. Her season-best 40-5.5 (12.33m) remains third in the nation in the event at the DII level.

A meet so large that it had to be split over two days, a second installment of the GVSU Big Meet takes place tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT) back inside the Kelly Family Sports Center.