SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art men's and women's cross country showed significant progress throughout 2024 as multiple Pacific West Conference Runner of the Week honors and national recognition highlighted the Urban Knights' journey toward the postseason where both teams finished among the top eight at the PacWest Championships.

Beginning the season in Fresno for Sonoma State's Seawolf Invitational on Sept. 7, ART U saw a preview of what was to come in 2024 as senior Grace Southern led the way, finishing third of 74 runners with one of the fastest 5k times by an Urban Knight to date. The Textile Design major delivered an 18:38.4 mark good for fourth in Academy of Art history as the year's first action was in the books.

Two weeks later on Sept. 14, the Kim Duyst Twilight Invitational marked the debut for numerous Knights including freshman Ethan Forbes who proceeded to pace the squad for the final four meets of the season. Meanwhile Southern was also out in front for ART U, taking fourth overall out of 77 competitors and challenging some of the runners she would later see in the postseason. For her efforts, Southern was named PacWest Runner of the Week for the third time in her career.

Next came another breakout performance from Southern at the Cougar Challenge on Sept. 28 for the second consecutive year. In her return to the meet where she broke the program's 6k record in 2023, the native of Middletown, Calif. captured her first career race victory against a field of 157 with her second-fastest 6k time since joining the program while graduate student Lina Hanich turned in her quickest mark ever. Another first soon followed as Southern was named USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week in addition to her fourth PacWest weekly honor thus far.

Local for their next two meets, the Urban Knights first had both its men and women's teams place among the top eight at the SF State Invitational on Oct. 11 with Southern fifth and Forbes inside the top 40 to lead the way. That same pair guided their respective contingents at the Bronco Invitational on Oct. 19 highlighted by Southern securing the best result of all NCAA Division II competitors (sixth overall).

There were season-bests aplenty for Academy of Art as the postseason began next with the PacWest Championships on Oct. 26 in Irvine. For the eighth-place women, Southern went seventh overall to earn All-PacWest First Team honors while senior Michaela Andrews and senior Erine Collard logged 6k bests. On the men's side, a seventh-place result featured Forbes, freshman Bethwel Kibet, junior Vaughn Lacour, and junior Taj-Leon Wisdom's fastest 8k efforts of the season.

From the Southern California warmth to snowy conditions in Montana, Southern advanced to NCAA DII West Regionals on Nov. 9 where she would conclude her campaign inside the top 40 out of a nearly 200-runner field featuring the best from the PacWest, California Collegiate Athletic Association and Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

With the indoor track & field season now already underway and the outdoor season to follow in 2025, Academy of Art cross country prepares to further sharpen its collective abilities toward a return next fall.