Halutie steals the show at GAA Circuit Champs
Sensational sprinter Hor Halutie is closing in on a place in Ghana’s team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia next month after clocking the fastest 100m electronic time run by a local athlete in Ghana.
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She obliterated the circuit 100m record with a scintillating personal best of 11.47 seconds at the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) Circuit Championships held at the Cape Coast Stadium last Saturday.
Her 11.47s mark eclipsed her own previous record and circuit championship record 11.57s, which she set at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi last year.
Beatrice Gyaman had held the fastest 100m electronic time of 11.55 seconds, another personal best (PB) by a local athlete in Ghana prior to last Saturday’s event, recording that feat at the Soga Nana Memorial meet in 2016.
Hor won back-to-back victories last Saturday the day after claiming the GAA Circuit 200m crown with another massive personal best and a new championship record of 23.49 sec (PB). Her mark was also made all the more impressive as it is the fastest electronic time run by a local athlete in Ghana. It will be recalled that Janet Amponsah recorded 23.85s in 2012 while Vivian Mills recorded 23.97s in 2014.
Elsewhere, Sarfo Ansah set a new circuit 100m championship record, crossing the finish line in a personal best of 10.42(PB) to erase his own life time best 10.52 which he recorded at the Sekondi leg of the circuit last month.
Rafiatu Nuhu, a finalist in the 400 metres at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, clocked a life time best of 53. 34 sec (PB) to reclaim the women’s 400m title from Western Region’s Faustina Amoah who settled for second place.
Duncan Agyemang, a student of the University of Cape Coast, cut a slice of history for himself after storming to the fastest 400m time by a local athlete in the last five years after running a circuit championship record and a personal best of 46.59 sec to win the men’s 400m final. In the process, he broke John O’Brien’s circuit championship record of 46.91s.
Previous 400m best local times had been recorded in the names of Samuel Yaro (46.90s), O’Brien (47.23s in 2016), George Effah (46.65s in 2015), O’Brien (46.91 in 2014) and Daniel Gyasi (46.85s in 2012).
Overall, it was a memorable day for athletics in Ghana and in Cape Coast, in particular.
The first sign of things to come occurred when youngster William Amponsah beat off quality competition in the men’s 10,000m, lapping some top runners and beating known names like Malik Yakubu, Matthew Nantieri and Kwame Adjei to claim victory in 31 minutes, 43s.
Meanwhile, the GAA presented a special award to Just Because Fitness for their contribution to the development of athletics in Ghana.
Schools participation
The stadium was brought to it feet during the special schools invitational relay events involving some top second cycle institutions.
St. Augustine’s claimed the bragging rights in the boy’s 4x100m where they beat their major rivals to first position in 43.08s. Adisadel came second in 44.59s while Ghana National S.H.S. came third in 45.49s. Mfantsipim School placed fourth in 45.74s while UPSHS took fifth position in 45.77s, followed by AggreyMemorial 46.50s, Effutu SHS 47.22s and Uncle Rich SHS in 50.33s.
Wesley Girls High School claimed the girl’s 4x100m title with a comfortable 51.53s, followed by Mfantseman Girls in 53.07s while Holy Child settled for third in 53.52s. Aggrey Memorial came fourth in 54.52s, University Practice SHS clocked while Ghana National ran 55.78s.
Mfantsipim middle distance runner Aziz Mohammed stole the spotlight in the men’s 1500m heat 2, winning the race while being urged on by a partisan crowd which included students from Mfantsipim School, St. Augustine’s, Adisadel, Wesley Girls and Ghana National College.
