In the just ended National Championships in Kansas, Ghanaian athletes in preparation for future Olympic Games qualifiers made waves with top performances in their respective events.
Isaac Botsio, a talented sophomore hailing from Takoradi, Ghana, left spectators awestruck with an outstanding performance, clinching two national championships in a single day.
He showcased his speed mastery by securing victory in the individual 100m race, blazing through the finish line in a remarkable 9.98 seconds.
Not stopping there, Botsio also played a crucial role as the anchor leg of the Buffs’ 4×100 relay team, successfully defending their outdoor title with an impressive time of 39.42 seconds, setting a new facility record in the process.
His 100m timing of 9.98 seconds marked the fastest ever recorded in national competition history at West Texas A&M University (WT), with the next closest being fellow countryman Benjamin Azamati in 2021 at 10.02 seconds.
Adding to the glory, Aziz Mohammed also claimed his first-ever national championship in the 1500m event, clocking in at an impressive 3 minutes and 54 seconds in the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships took place in Emporia, Kansas.
The race intensified in the final lap, where Mohammed surged ahead of Roberto Fajardo from Lee University by a mere 0.12th of a second.
Although Mohammed participated in both indoor and outdoor national championships this year, this victory marks his inaugural podium appearance and national champion title.
William Amponsah also made waves with a national runner-up title in the men’s 5,000m, crossing the finish line in 14 minutes and 40 seconds amidst scorching weather conditions, with temperatures soaring in the mid-90s and 60% humidity.
This achievement comes alongside his national champion finish in the 10,000m event earlier in the week, where Amponsah displayed unparalleled endurance, completing the 25-lap race in a remarkable 29 minutes flat.
Impressively, Amponsah lapped all but six runners in the national competition, showcasing his dominance on the track.
This marks Amponsah’s second individual national championship win, following his earlier victory in WT Cross Country’s first individual champion title during the fall season.
With six wins out of six races in cross country, Amponsah remains undefeated, now boasting a four-time All-American and two-time national champion record in his debut year competing for West Texas A&M.
