Compiled Results
CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M's Benjamin Azamati broke another NCAA Division II record on Saturday as the No. 5 Buffs won their first Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship in program history. WT finished with 212 points, 31.5 clear of second-place Angelo State.
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, LSC meet and school record and ranks him fourth among all collegiate runners.
The men's hammer throw was one of three events pushed back to Saturday following the weather delay on Friday. The delay didn't seem to bother Cade Halliburton too much as he broke his own school record with a mark of 192-10 (58.79m). Ray Dixon also finished fifth with the sixth-best throw in program history, 184-7 (56.26m).
WT picked up 12 points in the triple jump as Peniel Richard won the event with the seventh-best mark in program history, 51-1.75 (15.59m). Keaton Parker finished seventh with a mark of 46-3.50 914.11m).
Guillaume Devries broke the school record in the high jump with a clearance of 7-1.5 (2.17m) on his third attempt. He now owns three of the top five clearances in program history.
Azamati along with Tyrin Lewis, Desmond Aryee and Jahmaal Wilson broke their own school record in the 4x100-meter relay running 39.92 to finish second. Much like the Lady Buffs, the sprint group was just getting started.
Butare Rugenerwa used his patented kick to finish first in the 1,500-meters. He finished with a time of 4:03.17 with Arnaud Taki finishing fifth, 4:05.05, and Emmanuel Too in sixth, 4:05.69.
Lewis returned to the track to break the school record in the 110-meter hurdles en route to picking up his first career LSC title. His time of 13.58 is also the fastest time in the nation before altitude conversion.
Dhanushka Sanaruwan is now the school record holder in the long jump as the senior finished first in the event with a leap of 25-8.75 (7.84m). That moves him into a tie for the top spot on the descending order list with Central Missouri's Christopher Goodwin. Gerard Bryant finished seventh in the javelin for two additional points thanks to a throw of 166-7 (50.77m).
Azamati became the first Buff to win the 100-meter dash since 2013 as he crossed the finish line in 10.07, .23 seconds ahead of J.T. Smith of Texas A&M-Commerce. Desmond Aryee finished fifth in a time of 10.54 to pick up four points.
Taki finished his busy weekend with a podium finish in the 800-meters as he finished third in 1:56.47. Brian Nagana finished sixth in 1:59.82 after pushing the pace in the early stages into a stiff headwind.
The distance crew continued to pick up key points for the Buffs as Ahmed Omer reached the podium in the 5,000-meters. He used a strong kick to finish third in 15:17.76 with Innocent Murwanashyaka in fourth, 15:18.63, Jay Hall in fifth, 15:26.05, and Briggs Wittlake in eighth, 15:30.33. Noah Bundrock may have finished 10th in 15:44.26 but played a key role in helping the Buffs control the tempo of the race in the latter stages.
Mahmoud Massoud, the reigning LSC Field Athlete of the Week, finished second in the discus with a mark of 169-4 (51.61m), three inches ahead of Texas A&M-Kingsville's Jorge Rios.
The men's 4x400-meter relay of Malick Diop, Chance Martelli, Nganga and Rugenerwa sealed the Buffs outdoor title with a fifth-place finish out of the second heat running 3:19.09.
