2022 Cardinal Classic Results

STANFORD, Calif. – One week removed from its numerous achievements during the indoor season, Academy of Art track & field debuted many Urban Knights on a national scale at Stanford's Cardinal Classic. Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifications came from both the men's and women's 4x100m relays, Marie-Jeanne Ourega in the long jump, in addition to both Mathieu Tshani and Yacouba Gnacko in the triple jump to highlight a intermittently rainy day on the track.

The afternoon's first event on the track lived up to the anticipation as Ourega stepped away from a strong start in the long jump to join Darria Matthias, Ombretta Picciolie Minkue Meye, and Selena Arjona-Alcazar for a 4x100m relay that featured NCAA Division I talent like Cal and Stanford. ART U's quartet ended up less than a second from those two opponents at 45.67 for an Outdoor Nationals provisional mark while also moving up to second in the country.

Shortly after the women's turn, the men's squad combined the efforts of Shareez Hamm, Daquan Berry, Duncan Agyemang, and Ajani Ince for a photo finish with Cal. The Urban Knights ended up with a time of 40.85 to also begin as provisional qualifiers for Nationals. 

When she wasn't competing in the relay, Ourega could be found offering six attempts in the long jump. Runner-up to the national champion in the indoor version of the event, her first checked in at 20-1 (6.12m) and would hold up as the day's best by nearly one foot the rest of the way. The distance debuted Ourega at third overall in the nation and was more than one foot better than the Outdoor Nationals provisional standard.

Also carrying their momentum from Indoor Nationals, Tshani and Gnacko were once again a dynamic one-two punch in the triple jump on Saturday. Stepping onto the runway one after the other to start, Tshani's first completion ended up being his top mark at 49-5.5 (15.07m) to put him third in the competition but second in NCAA DII. Gnacko followed with his best one attempt later, reaching 48-6.75 (14.80m) for what would be a fourth place finish on the day and fifth in the country. Both Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifiers already, the two also immediately add their names in the fourth and fifth spots in ART U history.

Coming off an Indoor Nationals finale where she claimed All-American honors among the top five at both 60m and 200m, Arjona-Alcazar started her outdoor campaign by running the fifth-fastest time in program history at 11.94 in the 100m, taking sixth of 21 sprinters in the event. On the men's side, both Ince (10.81) and Berry (10.91) both finished among the top five on the day.

Ince also ran strong in the 200m where, in another NCAA DI heavy event, he took second of 17 with a time of 21.50, bettering the personal record that earned him third at last year's Pacific West Conference Championships. He was also less than half a second off the provisional standard. In that same boat at a fraction of a second from an Outdoor Nationals provisional, Minkue Meye went 24.87 in the 200m to end up fifth of 23.

A busy afternoon for Minkue Meye also had her in action in the 400m where she took third overall with a 56.11 mark. On the men's side, Agyemang crossed the finish line just 0.04 seconds from the provisional standard, clocking in at 47.82. He led a trio of Knights who went second through fourth overall as Makarios Page (47.91) and Hamm (48.20) each ran their best times in the event since donning the Academy of Art red and black.

The program's new record-holder in the indoor 800m, Lina Hanich began her collegiate outdoor career at third in ART U history in the outdoor 800m. She wound up less than half a second from an Outdoor Nationals provisional mark at 2:12.55, good for fifth of 14 on Saturday. The men's 800m saw Abdelouakil Mustapha finish less than a second shy of the provisional standard at 1:52.56.

Traversing the track more than 12 times, Audrey Rosencrans completed the 5000m at 17:55.62 which was less than a second off her personal record that currently sits fifth on the program's all-time list.

The day closed in dramatic fashion as the 4x400m relay team of Page, Agyemang, Ince, and Hamm combined to push past Cal for first overall at 3:14.49. The time ended up less than half a second off Outdoor Nationals provisional qualification.

When Academy of Art returns to action, splitting time at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic hosted at SF State on Mar. 31-Apr. 2 and the Stanford Invitational (Apr. 1-2).