2024 Texas Relays Results
AUSTIN, Texas – Returning to Mike A. Myers Stadium for the final day of the Texas Relays, Academy of Art track & field put both its men's and women's teams among the top three in NCAA Division II history in the 4x200m relay including the women tying the all-time record. Meanwhile,
Yacouba Gnacko furthered his hold on the country's top spot with a season best mark in the triple jump.
The combination of
Toni-Ann Lindsay,
Lauryn James,
Darria Matthias, and
Juvonna Cornette lined up against a total of eight other NCAA DI opponents plus one international squad and blitzed to a time of 1:34.87, incredibly tying the NCAA DII record set by a legendary combination of Minnesota State's Denisha Cartwright, Makayla Jackson, Rose Cramer, and Ja'Cey Simmons set two years ago. ART U's mark was a new program record by more than four seconds and put the Urban Knights seventh of 10 overall slightly behind BYU (1:34.72) and Clemson (1:34.78) but ahead of Lamar (1:35.67) and Pittsburgh (1:37.72).
Another Academy of Art record came on the men's side of the 4x200m relay as
Emmanuel Ajiroba,
Ajani Ince,
Shareez Hamm, and
Omodiaogbe Oboh sped to 1:23.85 across the finish line. Third-fastest in NCAA DII history behind only Saint Agustine's (1:23.50) and Pitt State (1:23.70) as well as second-fastest in the last seven years, the Knights' collective mark was the program's best by more than a second and had them sixth of 12 on the day just a just a fraction of a second behind Texas A&M-Commerce (1:23.65) and BYU (1:23.70) in addition to being ahead of Oklahoma (1:24.54) and others.
Gnacko was the lone Knight to compete outside of the two relays and his triple jump efforts as part of a loaded field did not disappoint. Challenging the likes of professional athletes such as O'Brien Wasome and Jordan Scott along with eight NCAA DI jumpers, Gnacko flew to a distance of 51-7 (15.72m) on his second attempt. The Industrial Design major bettered his best mark of the year by seven inches, remaining first in the country as a NCAA DII Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifier and taking sixth in the field of 14 ahead of Minnesota State's Shemar Miller (51-4.25/15.65m).
When the Urban Knights next compete, it will be at Cal's Brutus Hamilton Invitational on Apr. 6 in Berkeley.
