2024 Hornet Invitational Results (Day 1)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Academy of Art spent its first day of its 2024 outdoor campaign excelling both on the track and in field as the Hornet Invitational saw
Katharina Goetschl break the program's 3000m steeplechase record while other Urban Knights turned in some of the best NCAA Division II Outdoor Nationals provisional performances of the season inside Hornet Stadium on Friday.
Goetschl picked up right where she left off in her last outdoor campaign but did so with a dramatic improvement to the times that had her just off the program record (10:45.13) set by
Audrey Rosencrans in 2022. On Friday, Goetschl was nearly a full 17 seconds faster with a 10:28.23 good for an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualification and second in the country only to Chico State's Marissa D'Atri (10:27.97) by less than a second.
Fresh of becoming a six-time All-American with his fifth-place finish in the triple jump at
Indoor Nationals,
Yacouba Gnacko not only placed first in Friday's triple jump, but elevated himself to first in the country as the first of three Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifiers as well. Soaring to a 51-0 (15.54m) on his third attempt, the newly-named
West Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year was well in front of NCAA Division I Stanford's Kevin Yang as well as a pair from Cal in the 20-jumper field.
Making a memorable outdoor debut like she did for the indoor season,
Lauryn James finished third out of 136 competitors in the 200m dash. She dropped a time of 23.85 to significantly better the Outdoor Nationals provisional standard and take over the third spot in Academy of Art history, opening at second in the country behind only Cal State San Bernardino's Hailey Hunt (23.81) who edged out
Juvonna Cornette in their heat. Cornette joined James as an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifier with a 24.01 to secure sixth of 136 on the day while
Toni-Ann Lindsay won her heat (13th overall) but was just off the standard at 24.30.
The first 200m dash of the season for
Ajani Ince had him 0.01 seconds from the Outdoor Nationals provisional cutoff as he finished third of 128 overall at 21.22. He begins among the top four in NCAA DII.
ART U returns to Hornet Stadium tomorrow for an eventful day concluding the Hornet Invitational.
