The Buffs placed second overall finishing as the national runner-up to Pittsburg State (78 points) but totaled a record-breaking 64 points marking the most points in program history for both indoor and outdoor competitions.
This was the fourth year in a row where the Buffs have place second at the outdoor national championships. WTAMU tallied four national champions and two national runners-ups in six events scored by the Buffs this time around.
Saturday belonged to the sprint relay team and the wheels of Isaac Botsio. Botsio, a sophomore from Ghana led that 400-meter relay squad made up of Jace Lynch, Jerry Jakpa, Jeremiah Lauzon, to a new facility record time of 39.42 to claim the national championship.
Botsio wasn’t done showcasing his exceptional speed blazing to his second national title of the day when he clocked an eye-opening 9.98 to win the 100-meter dash. That time set by Botsio was the fastest national competition time in program history with the next closest being Benjamin Azamati in 2021 at 10.02 seconds.
Mohammed competed in both the indoor and outdoor national championships this year for the Buffs, but this is his first time making the podium and becoming a national champion.
William Amponsah also had a huge weekend for WTAMU. Amponsah set the tone on Thursday winning the first national championship of the weekend in the 25-lap 10,000-meter run.
Amponsah was stellar throughout the race winning with a time of 29:00. He lapped all but six runners in the national competition.
Then on Saturday, Amponsah found the medal stand one more time placing second overall in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:40.
Uwajeneza leaves her legacy for Lady Buffs
On the women’s side, the Lady Buffs also had a strong outing finishing sixth at the NCAA Division II track and field outdoor national championships scoring 32 points. Pittsburg State made it a clean sweep on both sides winning the women’s national championship with an impressive 100 points.
Highlighting the Lady Buffs was the outstanding performance from Florance Uwajeneza.
Uwajeneza made WTAMU history as the first Lady Buff to become a national champion in two events at the national meet.
On Thursday, the super senior set a new Francis G. Welch facility record in the 10,000-meter race with a 34:14 for her first national championship of the weekend.
On Saturday, Uwajeneza was once again putting on a show this time in the 5,000-meter run clocking a 16:33 for that second gold medal of the weekend beating Brianna Robles of Adams State who was the defending national champion.
Uwajeneza is in an elite group of athletes across all divisions to become a two-time national champion in one weekend in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter distance events. She finished her career as a Lady Buff this weekend as a three-time national champion and the school record holder in both events.