PacWest Conference Track & Field Weekly Awards (Mar. 21)
IRVINE, Calif. – Highlighting Academy of Art University Track & Field's trip to the
Sacramento State Hornet Invitational with nationally significant marks,
Hannah Hensley and
Mobolade Ajomale have been selected for Pacific West Conference weekly honors. Hensley came away with Women's Field Athlete of the Week and Ajomale earned Men's Track Athlete of the Week. The awards were based on competition from Mar. 12-18.
After the first four events of the Heptathlon, Hensley was in first place of 18 total competitors having won the high jump while also placing among the top five in the 100m hurdles and 200m. She highlighted the day by clearing a 5-8 (1.72m) high jump bar for her season-best and a mark now third in all of NCAA Division II.
With 2920 points, Hensley carried nearly a 100-point margin into the final three events on day two. The Pinehurst, N.C. native joined a three-way tie for second-place in the long jump, posting a 17-8 (5.38m) then later provided an exciting performance in the 800m to complete the Heptathlon. She would win the 800m with a new personal-best 2:18.67, giving her a total of 4910 points and making her not only a NCAA Nationals provisional qualifier, but owner of the second-highest mark in the country as well.
Coming off a
successful title defense of his Indoor National Championships in the 60m and 200m, Ajomale wasted no time taking over the country's top spot in the 100m. Up against 71 other competitors in the event, he delivered an Outdoor Nationals provisional-qualifying 10.32 which not only rose him to No. 1 in DII, but also put him in a tie with South Alabama's Rafael Scott for No. 3 in all NCAA divisions thus far.
Roughly two hours later, Ajomale would return for another impressive outing in the 200m. The
2016 Olympian would best two sprinters from Stanford as well as 72 others by over 0.40 with his 21.20 mark which was another provisional qualifier and tied for the second-fastest time in Division II this year behind Lee (Tenn.) product Josiah Brooks' 21.02.
This is the fourth PacWest weekly honor for Hensley in her career (her second of the year) and the fifth for Ajomale as he starts his third outdoor season with Academy of Art.
