The past weekend saw three major competitions for Ghanaian athletes, the Kumasi Open Championship and two national championships in the USA, the NAIA Championship (starring Agnes Abu and Elizabeth Dadzie) and the NCAA D2 Championship (starring Jordan Yamoah, Michael Bruce, Stefania Gyamfi, and Ibrahim Yakabu).
Alongside these collegiate national championships, schoolgirl sensation Suzie Acolatse fired off another two personal bests in the 100m (11.53s) and 200m (23.69s) to win both races at the California CIF-SDS Prelims; the Finals next weekend promises even faster times.
At the NAIA National Championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the "chosen one", Elizabeth Dadzie, ran consecutive personal bests in the heats and finals of the 100m hurdles. She won the gold medal in the final, clocking 13.42s, just 0.4 seconds outside Vida Nsiah's national record of 13.02s, set on 28th April, 2001.
In the last 14 years, only one person has run faster than Elizabeth's time, and that was Margaret Simpson's 13.41s personal best on 28th May, 2005. Dadzie won a second gold medal at the national championship, traversing 6.17m in the long jump. She capped off her weekend with a 4th place finish in the triple jump and a 6th place in the 4x100m relay.
At the same NAIA Championship, middle distance star, Agnes Abu, retained her number 1 ranking in Ghana, by clocking three personal bests in the 800m (2:06.95) and 1500 heats (4:30.02), and the 1500 final (4:29.39). Agnes won silver in the 1500m and came in 5th in the 800m, less than two hours after the grueling 1500m final.
At the NCAA D2 National Championship in Allendale, Michigan, Jordan Yamoah soared over 4.25m to take the silver medal in the pole vault. Michael Bruce ended up with a bronze medal in the triple jump and a 4th place in the long jump at the same championship.
On the home front, the dominating performance was fielded by schoolboy Richard Seklorwu, who shot to the top of the Ghana long jump ranking with a personal best of 7.62m at the second Kumasi Open Championship of 2015.
With his WASSCE exams now over, this performance raises the anticipation of what RIchard will produce this year. Youth Olympic gold medalist, Martha Bissah, stayed near the top of the national ranking by completing a daily double in winning both the 800m and 1500m, in times of 2:11.88 and 4:35.58.
Other respectable performances came from Kate Agyemang winning the 200m in a personal best 24.38s; Shawkia Iddrisu, knocking off 2 1/2 seconds of her seasonal best to clock 55.45s in the 400m; a 5.68m personal best in the long jump by Western Region's Deborah Acquah; a 47.59s 400m victory by Kwadwo Acheampong; Malik Yakubu's 15:03.88 5000m victory; Duncan Nuakoh Agyeman's 53.24s personal best circuit over the 400m hurdles; Beatrice Konamah's 10:31.13m run in the women's 3000m, and Martin Etsey's 15.26m triple jump flight.
**** Rio Olympic Games Qualifier
*** World Championship Qualifier
** African Games A standard
* African Games B standard
Indoor performance
100m
Janet Amponsah 11.29s**** 25-Apr Personal Best
Flings Owusu-Agyapong 11.42s* 02-May
Gemma Acheampong 11.49s* 02-May Personal Best
Suzie Acolatse 11.53s* 23-May Personal Best
Shekara Boakye 11.75s 01-May Personal Best
Stefania Gyamfi 11.80s 03-May Personal Best
Beatrice Gyaman 11.90s 09-May ON GRASS
Doreen Agyei 11.93s 04-Apr
Akua Obeng-Akrofi 11.94s 09-May, 10-May
Dorcas Gyimah 12.00s 11-Apr Personal Best
Safia Bright 12.08s 23-May
Kate Agyemang 12.09s 23-May Personal Best
Happy Abruyah 12.17s 09-May Personal Best ON GRASS
Janet Mensah 12.18s 09-May ON GRASS
Wind-Aided:
Janet Amponsah 11.12s (5.1 m/s) 28-Mar
Flings Owusu-Agyapong 11.16s (4.5 m/s) 16-May
Suzie Acolatse 11.46s (4.1 m/s) 15-May
Doreen Agyei 11.73s (3.8 m/s) 16-May
Akua Obeng-Akrofi 11.78s (3.6 m/s) 11-Apr
200m
Janet Amponsah 23.04s**** 25-Apr Personal Best
Suzie Acolatse 23.69s 23-May Personal Best
Flings Owusu-Agyapong 23.88s 11-Apr Personal Best
Stefania Gyamfi 23.96s 25-Apr Personal Best
Akua Obeng-Akrofi 24.05s 07-Mar
Gemma Acheampong 24.22s 04-Apr, 01-May
Lynette Akai 24.26s 30-Apr Personal Best
Stephanie Aidoo 24.30s 12-Mar Personal Best
Juanita Mainoo 24.30s 02-May Personal Best
Doreen Agyei 24.31s 02-May
Kate Agyemang 24.38s 23-May Personal Best
Happy Abruyah 24.69s 23-May Personal Best
Shekara Boakye 24.84s 21-Feb
Wind-Aided:
Gemma Acheampong 23.92s (3.7 m/s) 02-May
Doreen Agyei 24.28s (3.0 m/s) 16-May
400m
Lynette Akai 54.34s 16-May
Cheyenne Apesibah Tunti 55.29s 11-Apr
Shawkia Iddrisu 55.45s 23-May
Janet Amponsah 55.88s 18-Apr Personal Best
Salome Agyei 56.39s 23-May
Stephanie Aidoo 56.20s 13-Feb
Bless Dupeh 56.65s 18-Apr Personal Best
800m
Agnes Abu 2.06.95m 22-May Personal Best
Martha Bissah 2.11.88m 23-May
Patience Akanwogba 2.15.77m 23-May Personal Best
Helen Maasotuo 2.16.57m 23-May Personal Best
Salome Agyei 2.16.88m 27-Feb
Vivian Fosuaah 2.18.29m 27-Feb Personal Best
Lydia Mato 2.18.35m 02-May
1500m
Agnes Abu 4.29.39m 23-May Personal Best
Lydia Mato 4.33.84m 16-May Personal Best
Martha Bissah 4.35.58m 23-May Personal Best
Sakat Lariba 4.38.96m 14-Mar Personal Best
Helena Maasotuo 4.43.66m 14-Mar Personal Best
Beatrice Konamah 4.47.29m 09-May Personal Best ON GRASS
Vida Ayaayine 4.48.98m 11-Apr Personal Best
One Mile
Lydia Mato 5.03.35m 07-Mar
3000m
Lydia Mato 9.31.97m* 09-May National Record
Elizabeth Azuure 10.16.67m 14-Mar Personal Best
Charlotte Fordjour 10.25.58m 14-Mar Personal Best
Hawa Kombat 10.27.0m 11-Apr Personal Best
Beatrice Konamah 10.31.13 23-May
Mariama Yakubu 10.36.48m 27-Feb Personal Best
5000m
Lydia Mato 16.39.37m 16-May Personal Best
Elizabeth Azuure 17.06.73m 11-Apr Personal Best
Sakat Lariba 17.36.02m 09-May Personal Best ON GRASS
10000m
Lydia Mato 35.27.23m 14-May Personal Best
100mh
Elizabeth Dadzie 13.42s** 23-May Personal Best
400mh
Ama Larbi 59.64s 03-Apr, 07-May
High Jump
Regina Yeboah 1.60m 14-Mar
Ellen Botwe 1.60m 14-Mar Personal Best
Elizabeth Dadzie 1.59m 28-Mar
Long Jump
Elizabeth Dadzie 6.29m* 07-May Personal Best
Ebony Owusu-Sampah 6.15m* 16-May Personal Best
Nadia Eke 6.08m 09-May Personal Best
Felicia Frimpong 5.76m 27-Feb Personal Best
Deborah Acquah 5.68m 23-May Personal Best
Latifa Ali 5.60m 14-Mar Personal Best
Ellen Botwe 5.49m 27-Feb Personal Best
Triple Jump
Nadia Eke 13.32m** 01-Mar, 14-Mar
Mathilde Boateng 12.88m 21-Feb
Elizabeth Dadzie 12.40m 07-Mar
Wind-Aided:
Nadia Eke 13.39m (2.1m/s) 24-Apr
Elizabeth Dadzie 12.61m (3.0 m/s) 11-Apr
Shot Putt
Claudia Ababio 14.18m 12-Feb
Discus
Claudia Ababio 45.00m 21-Mar Personal Best
Myah Antwi 44.87m 10-Apr Personal Best
Hammer
Claudia Ababio 51.84m 01-May Personal Best
Javelin
Mary Zuta 42.28m 11-Apr
Heptathlon
Elizabeth Dadzie 5144p* 28-Mar
100m
Solomon Afful 10.39s 15-May Personal Best
Shadrack Adu-Gyamfi 10.47s 01-May Personal Best
John Osei Kofi 10.53s 11-Apr Personal Best
Emmanuel Dasor 10.56s 03-Apr
Tim Abeyie 10.58s 18-Apr
Emmanuel Appiah-Kubi 10.63s 23-May
Katakyie Ofori-Atta 10.68m 28-Mar Personal Best
Emmanuel Oduro-Mensah 10.70s 11-Apr Personal Best
Roland Alena 10.70s 23-May
Stephen Opoku 10.72s 12-Mar
Desmond Aryee 10.74s 11-Apr
Shadrack Opoku-Agyeman 10.77s 23-May Personal Best
Wind-Aided:
Tim Abeyie 10.56s (2.2 m/s) 18-Apr
200m
Emmanuel Dasor 20.61s* 17-May Personal Best
Solomon Afful 20.68s* 02-May Personal Best
John Osei Kofi 21.22s 14-Mar Personal Best
Wind-Aided:
Solomon Afful 20.68s (3.1 m/s) 15-May
400m
Emmanuel Dasor 45.61s* 17-May Personal Best
Daniel Gyasi 46.30s 11-Apr Personal Best
Kwadwo Acheampong 47.59s 23-May
Robert Anaak 47.94s 23-May
800m
Alex Amankwah 1.45.91m*** 03-Apr, 02-May Personal Best
Prince Owusu 1.49.93m 17-Apr
Herns Agyeman-Duah 1.50.51m 03-Apr Personal Best
Sampson Azumah Laari 1.51.48m 18-Apr Personal Best
1500m
Sampson Azumah Laari 3.52.55m 10-Apr Personal Best
Alex Amankwah 3.55.23m 28-Mar Personal Best
One Mile
Samson Azumah Laari 4.21.01m 07-Mar
3000m
Prosper Goku 8.50.45 09-May Personal Best
5000m
Malik Yakubu 15.03.88m 23-May
Kwame Adjei 15.17.58 23-May Personal Best
Samson Azumah Laari 15.21.92m 21-Feb
110mh
Yakabu Ibrahim 14.60s 03-May
Roland Attoh-Okine 14.64s 17-Apr Personal Best
Atsu Nyamadi 14.86s 02-May Personal Best
Wind-Aided:
Yakabu Ibrahim 14.26s (3.1 m/s) 26-Apr
Atsu Nyamadi 14.80s (3.9 m/s) 15-May
400mh
Duncan Nuakoh Agyeman 53.28s 23-May Personal Best
Awal Faisal Mohamed 53.70s 14-Mar Personal Best
Barnabas Dompeh Aryee 53.73s 14-Mar Personal Best
Pole Vault
Jordan Yamoah 5.36m** 09-May
Atsu Nyamadi 4.10m 25-Apr, 15-May Personal Best
High Jump
Atsu Nyamadi 2.01m 01-Feb
Kofi Boison 2.00m 09-May ON GRASS
Long Jump
Richard Seklorwu 7.62m 23-May Personal Best
Michael Bruce 7.56m 08-May Personal Best
Robert Martey 7.52m 23-May
Mohammed Abubakar 7.38m 22-Apr
Atsu Nyamadi 7.34m 01-Feb
Solomon Atosona 7.23m 07-Mar
Wind-Aided:
Robert Martey 7.66m (2.1 m/s) 23-May
Triple Jump
Nana Owusu-Nyantekyi 15.67m 01-Mar
Edgar Panford 15.63m 21-Mar
Michael Bruce 15.31m 01-Mar
Martin Etsey 15.26m 23-May
Mohammed Abukakar 15.09m 02-May Personal Best
Atsu Nyamadi 15.04m 06-Dec
Alex Kwofie 15.02m 23-May Personal Best
Wind-Aided:
Michael Bruce 15.55m (2.9 m/s) 22-May
Shot Putt
Emmanuel Ofori-Asante 15.77m 11-Apr
Atsu Nyamadi 14.20m 09-Jan
John Ampomah 14.13m 09-Jan
Discus
Emmanuel Ofori-Asante 45.54m 09-May
Atsu Nyamadi 45.49m 02-May Personal Best
Daniel Eshun 43.37m 09-May Personal Best
Robertson Tay 42.10m 09-May Personal Best
Awudu Bachela 41.14m 09-May
Javelin
John Ampomah 81.55m** 25-Apr National Record
Atsu Nyamadi 65.63m 09-Apr
Awudu Bachela 61.64m 14-Mar Personal Best
Emmanuel Gyefa 60.25m 14-Mar Personal Best
Decathlon
Atsu Nyamadi 7532p** 09-Apr National Record