2024 Franson Last Chance Results
AZUSA, Calif. – In its penultimate meet of the 2024 regular season, Academy of Art track & field broke the program record in the women's 4x400m relay, achieved new personal bests, and elevated in the national rankings across several events on the final day of Azusa Pacific's Franson Last Chance Cougar Stadium.
Concluding a day full of exciting performances, the Urban Knights' quartet of
Toni-Ann Lindsay,
Juvonna Cornette,
Lina Hanich, and
Lauryn James not only pushed past Cal State San Bernardino for first place of eight teams on the day, but in so doing, posted a final time of 3:38.36 to break the ART U record previously set in 2016. Saturday's effort was more than a second and a half faster than the mark which made the last Academy of Art quartet
All-Americans at Outdoor Nationals and took the squad to fourth in the country as provisional qualifiers for the postseason.
Building tremendous momentum heading into the third defense of her outdoor long jump national title,
Marie-Jeanne Ourega soared to a new personal record 21-7.5 (6.59m) on her third attempt. The effort, which bettered that of Azusa Pacific's Nicole Warwick (21-5.25/6.53m), regained Ourega the top spot in NCAA Division II and was second only to professional athlete Madisen Richards (22-0.75/6.72m) in a field of 25 on the day. Up to a tie for the fourth-farthest all-conditions mark in NCAA DII history, Ourega improved upon her previous best of
21-7.25 (6.58m) which came nearly two years ago to the day.
Prior to her individual performance, Ourega paired with James, Lindsay, and Cornette in delivering the third-fastest time by four Urban Knights in the 4x100m relay to date. Across the finish line at 44.50, the quartet opened the afternoon with a top result out of 10 teams and moved to second in the country well under the Outdoor Nationals provisional standard.
Ajani Ince had been the runner-up in both the 100m dash prelims and semis, but on Saturday, he broke through first place in the six-competitor final. He went 10.29 for the third-fastest mark in Academy of Art history and put himself among the top 15 in NCAA DII. At 40.43, he was also part of a 4x100m relay with
Nathaniel Mark,
Emmanuel Ajiroba, and Sharee Hamm that offered their third-fastest time run this year as well as ART U's fourth Outdoor Nationals provisional mark of the season.
Coming back from the fastest 100m dash performance of her career the previous day, Lindsay dropped 0.10 seconds from that effort with an 11.47 across the finish line in a head-to-head final versus Canada's Leya Buchanan. The mark elevates her to both top 20 in NCAA DII as an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifier as well as third in Academy of Art history.
The women's 400m dash saw James move into the program's top three with her 54.32 time. Taking sixth of 33 on the day and cracking the country's top 20, she joined Hanich (55.78) in producing an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualification.
Josh Marlin improved upon his time in the 400m dash with a 47.17 mark that kept him among the nation's top 25 Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifiers. The Communications & Media Technologies major took fourth of 45 on the day and held his fifth-place ranking in ART U history.
Placing fourth of 44 competitors on Saturday, Cornette turned in the fastest wind-legal time of her collegiate career at 23.50. Her personal record of 23.17 came earlier this year at the PacWest Championships.
The final day of the regular season will bring one more opportunity to qualify for Outdoor Nationals as the Urban Knights remain in Southern California for tomorrow's Cal State LA Very Last Chance.
