2020 KMS Invitational Results

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – At the KMS Invitational on Sunday inside the Birmingham Crossplex, the site of the 2020 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships, Academy of Art track & field walked away with several of its best marks of the year as both Ombretta Picciolie Minkue Meye and Darria Matthias ran sub-7.60 times in the 60m dash and Camille Jouanno elevated into the nation's top 10 in the triple jump.

"I thought the team overcame a lot of adversity this weekend," said director of track & field/cross country Kevin LaSure. "Our travel didn't go as planned and threw everyone's schedule off by a large margin, but I thought we still came out and competed hard without using that as an excuse to give anything less than their best effort. While these may not have been the performances we were looking for this weekend, I know great performances are coming for us over the next few weeks."

Minkue Meye and Matthias competed in three rounds of the 60m, finished fifth or higher, and ran 7.70 or faster in each. The prelims saw both in the top five of 44 with Minkue Meye third at 7.67 and Matthias fifth at 7.70 4 in prelim. Both improved in the semis where Minkue Meye offered a 7.57 good for 10th in NCAA Division II thus far while Matthias went 7.60 for her best time of the year. Both saved their best for last, however, as a photo finish between the two saw Minkue Meye go just under 7.58 while Matthias rose into the country's top 15 with an Indoor Nationals provisional 7.58.

Saving her best for last in the triple jump, Jouanno posted a 39-7 (12.06m) in her fifth and final attempt. Placing first of 21 jumpers on Sunday, her season-best distance put her tied for ninth in the country.

In his first official action with Academy of Art, Davian Baker qualified through the prelims of the 60m hurdles and delivered an 8.32 mark in the finals. His time debuted him at third in program history.

ART U runners won both the men's and women's miles as Charlie Messai took first of 21 men at 4:18.33 and Hasna Kaarour went 5:01.6 for the top spot of 25 on the women's side. Natalia Novak was just over two seconds behind her teammate at 5:03.74, claiming the fourth-fastest time in ART U history.
 
As January gives way to February, the Urban Knights will be in Seattle for the University of Washington Invitational over Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.