Ghanaian sprinter, Benjamin Azamati continued his impressive outdoor season form by dominating the Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Texas over the weekend.
The West Texas A&M student broke another NCAA Division II record on Saturday as the Buffs won their first Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship in program history.
Azamati is now the 200m NCAA DII record holder as the freshman ran a wind legal (1.1) 20.13 to break Bryan Bridgewater’s record of 20.15 set back on May 30, 1992. It also broke the LSC, the LSC meet and school record and ranks him fourth among all collegiate runners.
Watch Azamati’s 200m race below;
Runner, runner!
Ghana’s 🇬🇭@benjaminazamati ran 20.13s hours ago to set a new 200m @LoneStarConf record.
✅ His time also puts him second in the list of Ghana’s national fastest times in the 200m sprint event.
✅ Qualified to run the 200m at the Olympics too. #3Sports pic.twitter.com/IlY6rWo0cW
— Yaw (@theyawofosu) May 9, 2021
More importantly, his 200m time also qualifies him for the Olympic games in that event and ranks him number 2 in Ghana’s all-time 200m list, behind record holder Joseph Paul Amoah (20.08) and ahead of Emmanuel Tuffour (20.15).
In the 100m, Azamati became the first Buff to win the event since 2013 as he crossed the finish line in 10.07, .23 seconds ahead of J.T. Smith of Texas A&M-Commerce. Fellow Desmond Aryee finished fifth in a time of 10.54 to pick up four points.
The 22-year old had clocked 10.03s in the heats.
Watch Azamati’s 100m race below:
As fast as advertised👀 @benjaminazamati 🏎 @WTAMUTrackXC pic.twitter.com/h4KEmfpgDU
— Lucas Kinsey (@LucasKinseyWT) May 9, 2021
In the concluding race, Azamati along with Tyrin Lewis, Desmond Aryee and Jahmaal Wilson broke their own school record in the 4×100-meter relay running 39.92 to finish second.