CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M track & field standout and Olympian Benjamin Azamati has announced that he will forgo his final two years of NCAA eligibility and begin his professional career. 
 
"I decided to go professional because I felt I have done what I needed to do in the division and needed to take on a new and very difficult challenge by going pro," Azamati stated. "My time at WT has been the best part of my career as an athlete and I got the opportunity to be with amazing teammates, great coaches and many others."
 
Azamati has signed contracts with international sportswear corporation ASICS and world athletic agency Bizz-Sports.  Additional ASICS clients include Olympic Gold Medalist Valerie Allman, Bronze Medalist Deena Kastor, and Olympians Emma Bates and Diane Nukuri. 
 
"Being a DII athlete has taught me I can take on challenges and put my name out there. I'll go pro but will stay in in school and still be with my amazing teammates and coaches."
 
The Akim Oda, Ghana product made his professional debut in June at the Paris Diamond League meeting. Azamati ran 10.25 to pick up the victory at Stade Charléty to defeat France's Mouhamadou Fall (10.32) and Jimmy Vicaut (10.34). 
 
"Benjamin has worked very hard to get this opportunity and I am very proud of him and couldn't be more excited for his future," said head coach and track & field director Matt Stewart.  "He will be at WT finishing his degree and will still be a huge part of our program in the future.  I'm honored to be his coach and will forever be in awe of what he's done for our university and track program."
 
The sophomore represented Ghana in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics where he competed in the 100-meter dash and ran the second leg of the 4x100-meter relay. Azamati along with Sean Safo-Antwi, Emmanuel Yeboah and Joseph Paul Amoah ran 38.08 to finish .02 ahead of the United States to secure the final spot into the final.  The quartet also broke the previous Ghana record that had stood since August 9, 1997. 
 
Azamati finishes his career in the Maroon & White as one of the top sprinters in NCAA Division II history as he was a five-time national champion, nine-time All-American, and 10-time Lone Star Conference individual champion.  He holds the top seven times in DII history in the 100-meter and currently stands as the NCAA Division record holder in three events: 60-meter (6.54/indoor), 100 (9.90/outdoor), and 200 (20.13/outdoor).  
 
He broke his own NCAA Division II and Ghana national 100-meter record at the 94^th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays when he matched the fifth-fastest time in all-collegiate history, running 9.90 in the prelims. His performance was exactly a year after he shattered the previous 38-year-old DII record formerly held by Darrell Green (10.08) with his first sub-10 time at 9.97. 

The speedster also shined in the 200m as he matched his NCAA DII record at Jo Meaker Classic in Canyon after running 20.13.  He ran the final leg of the 4x100-meter relay that claimed the program's first national title in either relay event with the fastest time in program history at 39.27.
 
Azamati will turn his attention towards the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore., on July 15-24 where he is set to run in the 100 and 4x100-meter relay.  Information on the world meet can be found HERE. 
 
 
Azamati's Career Accomplishments
NCAA DII National Outdoor 4x100 Relay Champion (2022) 
NCAA DII National 100-meter Champion (2021)
NCAA DII National 200-meter Champion (2021)
NCAA DII National Indoor 60-meter Champion (2022, 2021)
USTFCCCA National Men's Track Athlete of the Year (2021) 
USTFCCCA South Central Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year (2021, 2022)
USTFCCCA South Central Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year (2021)
LSC Male Athlete of the Year (2021, 2022)
LSC Indoor Male Track Athlete of the Year (2021, 2022)
LSC Outstanding Indoor Male Track Athlete (2021, 2022)
LSC Outdoor Male Track Athlete of the Year (2021, 2022) 
LSC Outstanding Outdoor Male Track Athlete (2021, 2022)
LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll (2020)
NSCA Male Athletic Performance Athlete of the Year (2022)
USTFCCCA All-South Central-Region (12x)
USTFCCCA First-Team All-American (9x)
All-Lone Star Conference (10x) 
NCAA DII 60-meter Record Holder (6.54)
NCAA DII 100-meter Record Holder (9.90)
NCAA DII 200-meter Record Holder (20.13)