2021 PacWest Awards

IRVINE, Calif. – Dominant not only at the Pacific West Conference Championships, but on a national scale, Academy of Art track & field had two of its student-athletes earn PacWest awards in Wednesday's announcement. Marie-Jeanne Ourega was honored as both the PacWest Field and Freshman Field Athlete of the Year on the women's side while James Young was selected as PacWest Track Athlete of the Year from the men's teams.

"Both student-athletes have earned all of the accolades being bestowed upon them and this is just another representation of all the hard work they have both put in this season," said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Kevin LaSure. "Both James and Marie-Jeanne are special student-athletes and the best is yet to come for them if they continue to work hard and stay focused."

Following her All-American performances in the horizontal jumps during this past indoor season, Ourega saw her success continue into this subsequent outdoor campaign. At the APU Invitational on Apr. 3, she soared to a 21-7.25 (6.58m) distance in the long jump, automatically qualifying for NCAA Division II Outdoor Nationals with the top mark in the country. Particularly significant, the effort went down as the fourth-farthest among all-conditions marks in NCAA DII history and resulted in her being named both USTFCCCA DII National Athlete of the Week and PacWest Field Athlete of the Week (her second honor of the season after one on Mar. 26).

The native of L'Haÿ-les-Roses, France proceeded to capture the PacWest long jump title on Apr. 30, posting a wind-legal distance of 21-3.5 (6.49m). Ourega then started the month of May with her best triple jump of the season at 39-11.25 (12.17m), taking second place in the PacWest meet (first among freshmen) and rising to currently 21st in the country. In ART U program history, Ourega ranks second in the long jump to multi-time Hall of Famer Vashti Thomas and fifth in the triple jump.

Young rode the momentum from becoming the NCAA Division II National Champion in the indoor mile into what has been a memorable outdoor season thus far. In his first outdoor race, the 5000m at the APU Invitational on Apr. 3, he debuted at third in program history with a time of 14:09.50 which has remained among the nation's top 30 as an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifier.

Two weeks later, however, Young's biggest highlight of the season came at the Bryan Clay Invitational where he delivered the second-fastest 1500m effort in NCAA DII history at 3:37.72. Still first among NCAA DII runners by nearly four seconds, the performance led the Advertising major to be named both USTFCCCA DII National Athlete of the Week and PacWest Track Athlete of the Week in addition to breaking the program record. Those stellar outings behind him, Young cruised to PacWest titles in both the 1500m and 5000m on May 1.

This is the first PacWest yearly honor for Ourega or Young in their respective careers.