Dadzie & Abu excel in US, Seklowu tops long jump with 7.62m leap

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