2023 Mt. SAC Relays Results
2023 Bryan Clay Invitational Results

Academy of Art track & field went out in style on Saturday finishing the Mt. SAC Relays and Bryan Clay Invitational with several Outdoor Nationals provisional marks including the sixth-fastest men's 4x400m relay time in NCAA Division II history.

WALNUT, Calif. – Bringing together some of the best track & field stars from around the world, the 63rd Annual Mt. SAC Relays featured the Urban Knights alongside numerous NCAA Division I competitors, four of whom ART U bested in the men's 4x400m relay.

Makarios Page, Robin Black, Shareez Hamm, and Duncan Agyemang went back and forth with a quartet from Illinois throughout their heat before ultimately taking the victory with an eye-popping time of 3:05.20. Rocketed to first in NCAA DII this season by more than three seconds, the combined effort registered sixth in NCAA DII history in addition to bettering the program record originally set by Shaquille Howard, Ronald Spears, Jr., Alexander McNally, and Jordan Edwards almost a decade ago in 2014.

Agyemang was also strong individually, challenging professional athletes (Paul Dewedo, Daniel Lopez-Stokes) as well as NCAA DI talent in the 400m dash where he delivered a season-best 47.08 for Outdoor Nationals provisional qualification. The performance, which was nearly 0.60 seconds better than his debut time from mid-March, put him into the country's top 10.

The men's 400m hurdles spotlighted Hamm on his own roughly two hours prior to his contributions to the 4x400m relay. Out of the 17 hurdlers in the event, three were professionals representing the United States (Rai Benjamin), Mexico (Guillermo Campos Ornelas), and Shakeem Smith (Bahamas), elevating the environment for Hamm's new season best of 51.82. The time was more than a full second faster than his first of the year and took him up into the nation's top 10 as an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifier once again.

In a long jump event that featured professional competitors like Deborah Acquah (Ghana), a trio from China (Tan Mengyi, Jin Donghue, Chen Shuiqing) as well as the duo of Rhesa Foster and Jasmine Todd (both United States), Marie-Jeanne Ourega held her own with multiple completions over 20-0 (6.09m) including her best of the day at 20-5.25 (6.23m). The NCAA DII leader in the event would best Acquah as she continues to repeatedly surpass the Outdoor Nationals provisional standard.

AZUSA, Calif. – A majority of the Academy of Art contingent could be found wrapping up the Bryan Clay Invitational with strong marks in both sprint and hurdles events on Saturday.

Up against Minnesota State's Makayla Jackson and Pitt State's Taniya Looney in her heat, Selena Arjona-Alcazar ended 0.01 seconds back of the former and tied with the latter at 11.61 across the finish line. The Communications & Media Technologies major improved upon her season-best time by 0.02 seconds, holding her position at 16th in the country with another Outdoor Nationals provisional qualification.

One day after nearly hitting the Outdoor Nationals provisional cutoff in the 400m hurdles, Crockett Schooler did so by close to a full second with his 52.53 effort on Saturday. Along with entering the country's top 15, he adds his name into the fifth spot on the ART U career list.

Britney Clark finished second in a 200m heat (20th of 88) that included multiple NCAA DI sprinters, enabling her to turn in a new season-best 24.11. The time was an improvement on her first Outdoor Nationals provisional by 0.11 seconds, elevating her into the country's top 30. On the men's side of the 200m, Ajani Ince placed 11th in a field of 93 with a 21.28 mark that was just slightly off the Outdoor Nationals provisional standard.

Academy of Art next makes its third and final appearance on Stanford's Cobb Track & Angell Field this season for two days of the Payton Jordan Invitational on Apr. 21-22.