2024 Rumble in the Jungle Results

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Getting its first look at the future site of NCAA Division II Indoor Nationals on Friday, Academy of Art track & field delivered times, distances, and heights to remember at Pitt State's Rumble in the Jungle Invitational inside Robert W. Plaster Center. Marie-Jeanne Ourega, Robin Black, Ajani Ince, and Katharina Goetschl all stood out by adding new event personal records and Indoor Nationals provisional marks to their 2023-24 resumes.

Ourega's first time in action in the 60m hurdles this season had her very close to her personal record as she took second of 20 in the prelims at 8.56. That time was then bettered considerably as the Communications & Media Technologies major proceeded to win the event final at 8.49. Ourega made herself not only an Indoor Nationals provisional qualifier, but also fourth in the country overall this season as well as closer to the fourth spot in ART U history.

Along with her success on the track, Ourega once again dominated the long jump where she saved her best, 20-2.5 (6.16m), for her final attempt, matching the mark that currently leads NCAA DII while winning the 22-jumper competition.

The fastest indoor 200m run by Black in an Academy of Art uniform came Friday as the Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media major went 21.24 to claim first out of 19 competitors. Still third in program history, Black's betterment of his previous best by 0.02 seconds took him up to fifth in the country as an Indoor Nationals provisional qualifier.

Black joined NCAA DII's best in the 400m as well, finishing fourth of 21 on the day and bettering the time he debuted at with ART U. His 48.48 mark put him 18th in the nation. Black was also first out of the 60m prelims at 6.78 before securing second (6.80) in a final that also saw Ajani Ince improve upon his prelim time (6.84) as he dropped a new personal record 6.83 en route to fifth in the final and top 30 in NCAA DII. Ince's performance was worthy of an Indoor Nationals provisional qualification and was just off the fourth-fastest time run by an Urban Knight to date.

Goetschl confidently led a field of 25 for the entirety of her first mile of the season. She ended at a personal record 4:55.12 across the line, opening with an Indoor Nationals provisional qualification that put her 10th in the country. The lifetime best elevated her from fifth to third in program history and has her now less than 10 seconds from the record.

In her first action of the season, Naomie Lavril challenged two of the top four nationally-ranked high jumpers in the country in Pitt State's Erica Schamel and Haleigh Hadley. Lavril cleared each of her final two bars on her respective last attempts, debuting as an Indoor Nationals provisional qualifier at 5-7 (1.69m). She finished third of 22 jumpers in the competition behind the pair of Gorillas, starting at 11th in NCAA DII and second in ART U history.

Yacouba Gnacko built upon the momentum he generated with another season-best mark in the triple jump on Friday. He led a smaller field from the second attempt on and bettered his previous top distance with a 49-6.5 (15.10m) on his fourth try. The performance upped him one position to seventh in the country among Indoor Nationals provisional qualifiers and came in addition to his second-place long jump finish behind Harding's Anton Kopytko who currently ranks fifth in the nation in the event.

Three Knights, Toni-Ann Lindsay, Lauryn James, and Darria Matthias, could be found in the 60m final as Lindsay's 7.60 nearly had the overall win out of the 33-sprinter prelim before a 7.63 made her the runner-up to the final winner. Meanwhile, James improved to a 7.68 for fourth in the final while Matthias bettered her prelim mark, going 7.77 en route to 7.77 seventh in the final.

ART U returns to Robert W. Plaster Center on Saturday, Jan. 27 for the Wendy's / Pittsburg State Invitational.