2024 Tyson Invitational Results
2024 GVSU Big Meet Results

Back to finish both the Tyson Invitational and GVSU Big Meet in two different states, Academy of Art track & field spent Saturday winning multiple events while improving times toward qualification to NCAA Division II Indoor Nationals.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Marie-Jeanne Ourega of the No. 8 ART U women's team was the lone Urban Knight in action in the Tyson Invitational, once again facing multiple NCAA DI and professional athletes in the triple jump.

Securing her spot in the second round of attempts with a 41-3.25 (12.58m) coming on her third attempt, the Communications & Media Technologies major bettered that mark on her final try where she soared to a new season-best 41-10.75 (12.77m). Fourth on the day behind the likes of Iowa's Daniela Wamokpego, who won the event on a 43-4.25 (13.21m), and professional athlete Arianna Fisher representing the United States, Ourega rose to second in NCAA DII with the second-longest triple jump of her collegiate career.

ALLENDALE, Mich. – ART U's sprinters shined in the finale of the GVSU Big Meet as Lauryn James and Juvonna Cornette both bettered their previous bests in the 60m and 200m dash respectively while Saturday's top finishes were turned in by Shareez Hamm (400m) and Daniel Cortes Gonzalez (HJ) as well.

Both the 60m and 200m featured Cornette and James in the top two positions of 80+ fields, beginning with Cornette's 7.47 to win the 60m and James' season-best 7.48 to take second while moving her up fourth in Academy of Art history and into a tie for 15th in the country as an Indoor Nationals provisional qualifier. Cornette's turn to elevate in the national rankings then came in the 200m as she blazed to a 24.00, making her third all-time among ART U competitors and seventh in NCAA DII this season.

The meet's fastest man at 400m was Hamm at 47.68 and, with his performance in the opening heat, he held the spot through the 73 runners who followed. Among that group was Josh Marlin who offered his second Indoor Nationals provisional qualifier in as many days at 48.43, good for third overall. Omodiaogbe Oboh's 48.55 time had him fourth on the day and just off the provisional standard.

Though he took second of more than 100 sprinters in the 60m dash, Robin Black was still the quickest among collegiate competitors. He posted a time of 6.82 and remains inside the country's top 25 with his top mark of 6.77 from December.

Following his new program record in the high jump on Friday, Cortes Gonzalez was first to finish in the event in his Saturday encore. The Cali, Colombia native dueled with Olivet's Deondre Chandler until the 2.00m (6-5) bar which saw Cortes Gonzalez clear and make it over 6-8 (2.03m) before ending as the best of 19 jumpers on the day.

After both joined the nation's top 20 in the 800m the day prior, Lina Hanich and Michaela Andrews were at the forefront of the 70 who contested the event on Saturday. Hanich's 2:10.43, which had her second overall, gave her three marks under 2:10.50 this year while Andrews claimed fifth on the day at 2:12.37 to make her 5-for-5 running under the Indoor Nationals provisional standard this season.

On the men's side of the 800m, Jaden Singleton's fourth-place finish in a field of 63 came with a time of 1:53.74, representing a new indoor career best in the event

Just 0.04 seconds from his indoor personal record that has him top 30 in the country in the 200m dash, Ajani Ince crossed the finish line at 21.51, taking second of 78 competitors in the event.

Just one final regular season indoor meet remains on the schedule for Academy of Art and the Urban Knights' last opportunity to qualify for Indoor Nationals will be the Fasttrack Last Chance Invitational in New York on Feb. 23.