2022 PacWest Awards

IRVINE, Calif. – Crowned Pacific West Conference champions two weeks ago at the PacWest Championships, the Academy of Art track & field trio of Marie-Jeanne Ourega, Shareez Hamm, and Yacouba Gnacko were recognized by the conference for their outstanding outdoor seasons thus far on Monday. Ourega garnered PacWest Field Athlete of the Year honors on the women's side while Hamm earned Track Athlete of the Year and Gnacko collected Freshman Field Athlete of the Year for the men.

"Marie-Jeanne, Shareez, and Yacouba have put together great seasons thus far and had some impressive performances at the PacWest Championships," said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Kevin LaSure. "All three have covered a wide array of events all season and it's great to see them start to reap the benefits of all of their hard work."

After becoming a nine-time All-American in less than two years with accolades in the long jump, triple jump, and 60m hurdles in the Urban Knights' 2022 Indoor season, Ourega has authored a strong outdoor campaign. She began the month of April with what currently stands as the third-farthest long jump in NCAA Division II, going 21-1.25 (6.43m) at the Stanford Invitational. That effort led her to be named both PacWest Field Athlete of the Week as well as USTFCCCA DII National Outdoor Athlete of the Week on Apr. 5.

Ourega then added another PacWest weekly selection, continuing to rise in the triple jump at Cal's Brutus Hamilton Invitational on Apr. 9 and, at the PacWest Championships, Ourega emerged as a conference champion in both the long jump and triple jump. The PacWest Most Outstanding Women's Field Athlete of the Meet delivered her best triple jump as a collegiate student-athlete with a 42-1.5 (12.84m) to capture the title and put her fourth in the nation currently. Her name can now be found second in program history only to multi-time Hall of Famer Vashti Thomas in both horizontal jump events.

Helping the men's 4x400m relay team finish the Indoor season as All-Americans, Hamm carried that momentum into the year's outdoor series. At the Mt. SAC Relays on Apr. 16, he ran the lead leg in the 4x100m that went 40.59 to break into the country's top 20 as Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifiers. The Photography major added strong times in both hurdles events at Mt. SAC to be named PacWest Track Athlete of the Week, but would better them both in a busy two days at the PacWest Championships.

Hamm qualified through numerous event prelims to set up his competition in five different events  on Apr. 30. Along with fourth-place finishes in both the 400m and 4x400m, the Gary, Ga. native stood in the center of the podium on three occasions as the PacWest Champion in the 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, & 4x100m relay. He was once again led off the 4x100m (40.95) then bettered all other competitors with a personal record 14.46 in the 100mH (43rd in NCAA DII) and season-best 52.62 in the 400mH (21st in NCAA DII), scoring more than 28 points for Academy of Art at the meet.
 
A sixth-place and All-American finish in the Indoor triple jump propelled Gnacko into what has been an impressive outdoor season. The Industrial Design major opened April with top results in the long jump and triple jump over consecutive weeks, first achieving his best long jump thus far with a 23-6.25 (7.17m) at the Stanford Invitational on Apr. 1. He would add a 49-7 (15.11m), his farthest of the year to that point, to win the Brutus Hamilton triple jump on Apr. 9, going on to earn PacWest Field Athlete of the Week honors thereafter.

At the PacWest Championships, Gnacko was the top freshman in the long jump, finishing third overall, before he broke the conference meet record en route to becoming the PacWest Triple Jump Champion. The Paris, France native went 51-11 (15.82m) to secure the title, elevate himself to third in NCAA DII, and move up to second in program history.

"Coach Nkosinza Balumbu has done a great job developing Marie-Jeanne and Yacouba and they have produced huge points at every championship meet so far this season," LaSure said.

This is the second career PacWest Field Athlete of the Year honor for Ourega and the first PacWest yearly honor for Hamm and Gnacko in their respective careers.