2020 Hillsdale Wide Track Classic Results

HILLSDALE, Mich. – Back inside Margot V. Biermann Center to conclude the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic on Saturday, Academy of Art track & field put forth numerous NCAA Division II Indoor Nationals provisional times including Ombretta Picciolie Minkue Meye (60m), Darria Matthias (60m), Natalia Novak (1 Mile), and Latavia Hawkins (400m).

Continuing to run some of their best races of the season alongside one another Minkue Meye and Matthias each improved from the 60m semifinals to the finals. The top two finishers in each stage, Matthias dropped from 7.62 to 7.60 (a Nationals provisional and just 0.02 from her season-best) while Minkue Meye offered a season-best 7.55 in the semis only to widen eyes further with a 7.50 in the final. The personal record ironically tied Matthias for second-fastest in program history and elevated Minkue Meye to fifth in the country.

"Ombretta and Darria improves in many areas of their races this week and it showed in the consistency of their times this weekend," said LaSure. "There are just a few more things to fine tune in the next few weeks before they will be ready to compete at NCAAs in March."

Dropping her time in the mile for the fourth consecutive meet, Novak rose to 14th in the nation with a converted mark of 4:55.28 for the Nationals provisional. The time had her first among the 11 competitors on the day.

"Natalia had another great meet," said LaSure. "She is really running consistently right now which usually means big things are on the horizon."

In the 400m, Hawkins also beat the 18-runner field with a converted 56.52 for her Nationals provisional.

"Latavia had her best race of the season in the 400m," said LaSure. "She is really starting to understand the race and it's showing in her performance."

A program record came for Rabah Houali in the 600m where he went 1:21.68 to put him now atop both the 600m and 800m in school history.

"Rabah ran a great 600m race solo and had a chance to work on some things that will definitely help him in his 800m races in the next few weeks," said LaSure.

Houali would later join Shareez Hamm, Davian Baker, and Roshard Williams for a strong performance in the men's 4x400m relay. Up against 17 other teams that featured impressive talent, the quartet from Academy of Art combined to go 3:21.85 to top the day's marks.

"The men's 4x400 ran really well, holding off a tough Northwood relay," said LaSure. "Roshard went head-to-head with one of the best all-around sprinters in the country in Mason Phillips and was able to hold him off to secure the win for the relay."

Important steps forward were taken in both 60m hurdles as Camille Jouanno (who also placed first in the day's triple jump) followed up her prelims qualification with her fastest time of the year (8.93) in the semifinals before an 8.95 for fifth in the final. On the men's side, a trio of hurdlers advanced from the semis to the final with Baker in front sporting a season-best 8.30 (third in ART U history), Hamm at 8.39 (fourth in ART U history), and Gino Toscano rounding out the group at 8.42.

"Camille had her best day thus far in the 60m hurdles and is starting to put some things together so hopefully in the next few weeks we can fix those minor mistakes and drop some significant time in her race," said LaSure. "Davian and Shareez both ran personal best times in the 60m hurdles which is great for them and should do great things for their main event come outdoor season the 400m hurdles."

As the busy month of February rolls on, the Urban Knights will return to Michigan for the Grand Valley State University Big Meet spanning Feb. 14-15.