2024 Fastrack Last Chance Invitational Results

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Saving the fastest 800m time of her career for the Fastrack Last Chance Invitational, Lina Hanich broke the Academy of Art track & field event record while, in the triple jump, Yacouba Gnacko joined her in elevating into the country's top three as the Urban Knights made major moves up the national rankings with other career and season bests on Friday inside the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

Hanich made it her third consecutive year breaking the ART U indoor 800m record, dropping significantly by more than two full seconds to 2:08.03 on this occasion. The mark bettered her most recent program record of 2:10.07 from 2023 and pushed her to second in NCAA Division II as an Indoor Nationals provisional qualifier to close out the regular season.

In the men's triple jump, Gnacko passed more than 10 other Indoor Nationals provisional qualifiers with a 51-3.25 (15.63m) on his final of six attempts. Friday's effort put him third in the country and marked not only his farthest distance achieved this season, but also his fourth time surpassing 51 feet in the indoor version of the event.

Knights could be found all throughout the women's 60m dash championship as Juvonna Cornette, Toni-Ann Lindsay, Lauryn James, and Darria Matthias all qualified from the prelims to the seven-runner final. Lindsay placed first out of the opening round with a 7.54 and she along with nearly the entire quartet bettered their initial marks as Cornette went 7.44 to win the final, Lindsay followed at to gain sole possession of the fifth spot in ART U history, and James ended at 7.50. Lindsay's performance put her just back of James at 18th in the country, meaning the trio all end the regular season inside the nation's top 20.
 
James was far from finished, however, because her strong day then featured a new season best in the 200m dash. Out of 80 total competitors, James claimed the top spot, going 24.09 to narrow the gap between her and the fourth position in Academy of Art history. The effort was good for 11th among Indoor Nationals provisional qualifiers this year.

The collection of Lindsay, James, Cornette, and Hanich ended Friday first across the finish line in the 4x400m relay, edging out Mount Olive by 0.06 seconds. At 3:46.58, the quartet rose to 20th in the country with their fastest combined time in 2023-24.

Only in action in the 60m hurdles, Marie-Jeanne Ourega improved upon the mark that previously had her tied for ninth in NCAA DII. The Communications & Media Technologies major was first of 18 out of the prelims at 8.56 then took 0.10 seconds off that time with a new personal record 8.46 in the final. She remains fifth in ART U history and wraps up the indoor regular season eighth in the nation.

Naomie Lavril tied with SF State's Macaria Moore-Bastide for the best high jump of the day, clearing a bar at 5-7 (1.7m) for her new best of the year. Joining a multi-way tie for 24th in the country, Lavril also held her spot at second among all Urban Knights to date.

For those Urban Knights who qualify, the finale of the indoor season will come at Indoor Nationals hosted by Pitt State in Kansas on Mar. 8-9.