2024 Franson Last Chance Results (Day 1)
AZUSA, Calif. – Making the most of one of her last times competing in the 800m run this regular season,
Lina Hanich highlighted the first day of Azusa Pacific's Franson Last Chance with a new Academy of Art track & field record in the event on Friday inside Cougar Stadium.
In easily the day's fastest 800m heat, Hanich challenged multiple professional athletes as well as a pair from the Pacific West Conference and the result was an improvement of nearly two full seconds from her previous outdoor best at 2:06.62. The mark, her fastest in both the indoor and outdoor version of the event, pushed Hanich into the top spot on the ART U all-time list by more than a full second, fourth of 61 in Friday's event, and made her one of just four NCAA Division II Outdoor Nationals provisional runners to go sub 2:07.00 this year.
Opening the day with the first of two rounds of the 100m dash,
Ajani Ince initially placed second of 38 with a 10.44 in the prelim before dropping to the quickest time of his career at 10.33. The wind-legal top-20 Outdoor Nationals provisional mark kept him second overall among the 23 to reach the semifinal. Ince, remains fifth in Academy of Art history, now prepares to compete against seven others in Saturday's final.
Toni-Ann Lindsay began two rounds of the women's 100m dash in fourth of 52 sprinters after going 11.65 in the prelims. Three hours later, she took nearly a full second off that initial time with a new season-best 11.57 to move into sole possession of fourth among Urban Knights to date. Lindsay elevated into the nation's top 25 with her Outdoor Nationals provisional mark, taking fifth of 22 in the semis to ensure her spot in the event final on Saturday.
Competing in his first collegiate 800m run,
Josh Marlin not only finished in the upper tier on the day with a 12th -place result out of 121 competitors, but he also took over the fifth spot in ART U history with a time of 1:51.33 across the line. He was 0.10 seconds from the Outdoor Nationals provisional standard.
The Urban Knights return to Cougar Stadium for second and final day of the Franson Last Chance tomorrow.
