2018 Boston University Last Chance Meet Results

BOSTON – A total of six individual personal records and four program records fell Sunday as Academy of Art University Track & Field closed its 2017-18 regular season in impressive fashion at the Boston University Last Chance Meet. In addition to new ART U records from Beatriz Martinez Mercado and Rabah Houali in their respective 800m races as well as another first in the women's Distance Medley Relay, Mobolade Ajomale broke his own NCAA Division II record in the 200m with Indoor Nationals just two weeks away.

"BU provided a wonderful competitive atmosphere and our athletes did a great job rising to the occasion," said director of track & field/cross country Torrey Olson. "Effort and focus were consistently high, attitudes were positive, and we had so many athletes rewarded with season-bests, lifetime-bests, program-bests, and NCAA qualifying marks. This will serve as a great springboard as we head to the NCAA Championships."

"I was really impressed with the way everyone we brought to Boston competed today," said head coach Kevin LaSure. "The effort everyone gave today was phenomenal. We still have some things to improve on before NCAAs, but if we can give the same effort we gave today every time out, we can always be happy with the results."

Competing four different times on Sunday, Ajomale offered a preview of his Nationals capability. He would start the day with a 6.69 in the 60m prelims, finishing first of 31, then moved into the event finals where he once again assumed the top spot in DII with a 6.63, pushing him past Pitt State's Juante Baldwin whose 6.65 had been at the head of the list for much of the year.

In his historic 200m, Ajomale would better the time that made him the Division II record-holder and an All-American at Indoor Nationals in 2016. More than one-tenth of a second faster than anyone else in the race on Sunday, Ajomale bolted to a 20.67 for the No. 1 time in DII and a top 10 mark across all divisions.

The Richmond Hill, Canada native later combined with Michael Houston, Christian Carter, and Kaze Poitier for a big move up in the 4x400m relay. The quartet would go 3:12.42 for the second-fastest time in program history and a mark ranked seventh in the country only 0.06 from the Indoor Nationals automatic qualifying standard.

"It was a pleasure to watch Bolade's run today," said Olson. "He and Coach LaSure have worked so hard to be where they are and it was great to see the reward. And to top it off, Bolade came back with an absolutely huge anchor leg to solidify the men's 4x400 for both the win and NCAA qualification. The timing couldn't be better headed to NCAAs."
 
"Bolade had a really special day," said LaSure. "It was probably one of the single best performances in Division II history. To run two No. 1 times in the country, with one being a Division II national record in the 200m, then end the day splitting 45 seconds on the 4x400m to help win the event and qualify for the NCAAs is extremely rare and tough to do in one day."

After their efforts set a program record in Washington earlier this season, the women's Distance Medley Relay dropped another milestone with an 11:39.18 in Boston. The time from Martinez Mercado, Schae Graham, Ashley Brown, and Swann Phelippeau took nearly five full seconds off the previous record and elevated the team to eighth in the nation.

Earlier this month, two Urban Knights set new program records in the 800m on the same day and, on Sunday, it happened again. The women's event saw Martinez Mercado move up 10 spots into 22nd in the country with a 2:11.13. On the men's side, Houali dropped more than a second off his previous best, going 1:51.56 to now assume the 25th spot in Division II.

Houali's fellow distance specialists, Gatien Airiau and Victor Moreau, each put forth efforts that were both less than a second from Academy of Art program records. Airiau went 8:11.68 for a new personal record in the 3000m, coming up just 0.04 off of record-holder Valentin Pepiot's mark while Moreau also challenged Pepiot's time in the mile, offering a 4:07.44 that missed by only 0.59. Ironically, both individuals are now ranked 25th in the country in their respective events.

Coming off her best time of the season in the 400m in Seattle, Graham turned in a new personal record of 55.37 on Sunday. She took fourth of 46 in the event, remained third all-time in program history, and entered the country's top 10 with the Nationals provisional.

"Schae Graham had a great day and really stepped up today running a lifetime best time in the 400m to qualify for the NCAAs and helping us qualify in both the 4x400m and Distance Medley Relay," said LaSure.

Later in the 4x400m, Graham joined Marion Presigny, Jasmine Grace, and Rian Young-Werner for what was a big breakthrough. The squad's 3:45.35 mark also put them among the top 10 in Division II and elevated them to fourth all-time in program history.

Prior to the running with his teammates in the 4x400m, Carter broke out for an individual personal best in his individual 400m. In a heat that had two of the top three times on the day, the Communications & Media Technologies major pushed to a 48.39 good for the NCAA Nationals provisional time and a 35th-place ranking.

In addition to her success in the 4x400m, the ever-versatile Presigny also delivered a new personal record in the long jump at the start of the day. On her sixth and final attempt, the Fashion Journalism major would soar to a 19-6.25 (5.95m), putting her 11th in the country. Presigny would also reach the finals of the 60m hurdles where she offered an 8.65 (just over her PR of 8.62) to finish the event.

"Marion Presigny also had a great day in the long jump, 60mH, and on the 4x400m," said LaSure. "It was exciting to see all of our event groups perform well in some aspect today and I believe it will really help us continue to develop a well-rounded program."

After qualifiers are announced this week, the Urban Knights will send their contingent to NCAA Indoor Nationals set to take place inside Pitt State's Robert W. Plaster Center on Mar. 9-10.

"I am extremely proud of our team and the way they all showed up when their backs were against wall and they needed to have their best performances," said LaSure.