2019 Bryan Clay Invitational Results (Final)
2019 Mt. SAC Relays Results (Friday)
A collection of NCAA Division II Nationals provisional emerged from Academy of Art track & field's first two days of action in both the Bryan Clay Invitational and the Mt. SAC Relays.
AZUSA, Calif. – Following a stellar start with
Victor Moreau's 5000m the evening prior, the Urban Knights put forth numerous season-bests in the second and final day of the Bryan Clay Invite on Friday.
Kicking off ART U's participation in the meet late Thursday night, Moreau went head-to-head with CSU-Pueblo's Marcelo Laguera, ranked second in the 5000m in DII coming in, and delivered a lifetime-best 14:09.23. The time earned Moreau Nationals provisional qualification, upping him to third in DII behind Laguera (14:08.87), and was second only to Valentin Pepiot (13:57.37) in program history.
Hasna Kaarour also made a significant move up not only in the Academy of Art record books, but also nationally in the 1500m. She would highlight the Knights' evening slate at Bryan Clay with a 4:31.37 mark that immediately put her top 15 in the country with a Nationals provisional and second all-time behind
Jenny Bergren's 4:31.03 from six years ago.
Successive season-bests were turned in by
Ashony Williams who went 10.94 in the 100m then followed with a 22.11 in the 200m.
The men's 800m saw
Joshua Browne add his own season-best to the mix after a 1:53.74 edged CSU-Pueblo's Patrick Scoggins by two thousandths of a second.
TORRANCE, Calif. – Highlighting the Mt. SAC Relays on Friday were the ART U women's relays as both the 4x100m and 4x400m teams produced season-bests and top-15 times in the nation inside Murdock Stadium.
The 4x100m team of
Mia Avila,
Ombretta Picciolie Minkue Meye,
Hava Turner, and
Darria Matthias combined for a Nationals provisional 46.17 which put them eighth in DII. Making one change to its personnel by trading
Latavia Hawkins for Matthias, the Urban Knights proceeded to add their fastest 4x400m time of 2019 at 3:46.18 for another provisional qualification and a No. 12 national ranking to their names.
Minkue Meye herself would impress in the 100m dash prelims where she crossed the finish line at 11.78 to take over sole possession of second in program history. Ascending the country's event list, she settled in at 12th in DII. She would run 11.91 in the finals.
Grant Swinton improved his season-best in the 400m with a 48.10 that also put him fourth in ART U history, slightly ahead of current teammate
Christian Carter who went 48.61 on Friday. Placing 15th of 53 in the 200m, Swinton also posted a 21.79 to split a contingent from NCAA Division I University of Southern California.
A lifetime-best came for Hawkins in the 400m as she delivered a 57.42 to cut one-tenth of a second off of her previous top mark from the Cal State East Bay Invitational, showing steady improvement since last year.
Academy of Art will return to Murdock Stadium for its second and final day of the Mt. SAC Relays tomorrow. Both
Mobolade Ajomale and
Michane Ricketts will be in action.
