PacWest Athletes of the Week (Apr. 1)

LONG BEACH, Calif. – An individual NCAA Division II Outdoor Nationals provisional performance combined with a historic relay run as Academy of Art track & field's Robin Black emerged from the Texas Relays with the title of PacWest Track Athlete of the Week on Tuesday. The award is for meets from March 24-31.

In the first day of action on Mar. 27, Black challenged Texas' Chris Brinkley in their 400m hurdles heat, securing second with the third-fastest time in NCAA DII this season at 51.66. The Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media major bested 31 others to advance through the event's first round toward an eventual sixth-place finish in the final on Mar. 28.

The 4x200m relay on Mar. 29 saw Black join Tre'Sean Bouie, Ajani Ince, and Josh Shavies in delivering a 1:23.55 mark that almost bettered the NCAA DII record set by Saint Augustine's (1:23.50) nine years ago. The time that put the Knights fourth of 10 on the day (better than a host of NCAA DI squads) was second among DII teams historically and served as the new ART U program record.

This is the first PacWest weekly honor in Black's career and the second for an Urban Knight from men's track & field after Bouie earned the first selection on Mar. 25.