April is over, and for many ART U athletes, April was certainly one for the record books. From softball, women’s tennis, and women’s golf, to co-ed track & field and baseball, our Urban Knights made an impact in Division II college athletics in April. Here’s a quick rundown of events that kept them busy in the second half of the month.
Women’s Golf Make History
For the first time in program history, Academy of Art University women’s golf was crowned PacWest Champions. And they did it with style, finishing with a 20-stroke advantage over second place Biola. Sophomore Anahi Servin won the individual title, becoming the first golfer ever to repeat as conference champion carding the second-best cumulative score in tournament history at 1-under-par 215.
Track & Field Shines
Bryan Clay Invitational, April 18: Art U distance star Victor Moreau clocked 14:09.23 in the 5000m, a lifetime-best. He moves to eighth in the country and second in program history with the NCAA Division II Nationals provisional qualifier.
Mt. SAC Relays April 18: The women’s 4x100m team (46.17) and 4x400m team (3:46.18) each turned in provisional qualifiers, breaking the nation’s top-20 in both events. A member of both relay teams, Ombretta Picciolie Minkue Meye ran her own individual provisional going 11.78 in the 100m—the second-fastest time in Urban Knights history and 18th in DII.
Pacific West Conference Track & Field Championships, April 27: Art U tracksters turned in eight gold medal finishes and finished second as a team to close out the conference championships at Cougar Stadium. From the women’s side, Camille Jouanno had the top result in the 4x100m relay and triple jump, while men’s champ Mobolade Ajomale finished top in the 100m, 200m, and 400m plus two relays.
Softball Senior Day Sweep
A 2-game sweep and a Senior Day ceremony honoring utility Katie Tablada and infielder Brenna Youngquist, made for a good day at Mission Blue Field on Apr. 27.
In game one, dominant pitching from junior Hannah Rose Balke (7-12) limited the Penguin offense for six innings while a home run from sophomore catcher Lauryn Henderson’s put ART U in front 2-1. In game two, Dominican led 3-2 in the fifth, but the Urban Knights scored three in the sixth to get the sweep.
Baseball Puts Up Big Numbers
Zak May’s 3-for-5 dayon Senior Day almost saves the day. With two home runs and five RBIs in the final home game of the season at Laney College, May breaks the program’s single-season RBI record and ties the single-season home run record. An 18 hit and 11 run comeback attempt weren’t enough to catch Azusa Pacific’s 13 run lead in the 13-11 final.
And in the season closer, Urban Knights put up a 20-run, 25-hit doubleheader sweep of Corban at Volcanoes Diamond on April 27. Senior infielder Elijah Smith tied the career triples record with his tenth. Senior pitcher Gonzo Rios (6-5) collected his sixth win of the season to tie the single-season wins record. Junior outfielder Thomas Delgadillo’s fourteenth straight hit broke the longest hit-streak record.
Women’s Tennis Reach PacWest Finals
For the second straight year, Art U women’s tennis reached the PacWest Championship finals after a dramatic come-from-behind singles semifinal win by senior Alma Thell-Lenntorp. The Urban Knights finished second to No. 11 Hawaii Pacific for the title in a highly competitive match.
