The championship, held after Sekondi a month ago, served as the last opportunity for locally based athletes to qualify for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Australia in April.

The day belonged to 18 year old former T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS student, Halutie, who smashed her Personal Best of 11.57s to set a new Circuit Record since the championships began in 2014 crossing the finish line in 11.47s in the heats.

The previous circuit record was held by Beatrice Gyaman (11.55s)

Her time is also the fastest by any local female athlete ever ran in Ghana. Vida Anim’s junior record of 11.38s was done in Lagos in 2001.

Halutie’s 200m time of 23.49s in the women’s 200m women’s final is a championship record, bettering the previous record of 23.85s, which she set in Sekondi a month ago.

In the women’s 400m final, Rafiatu Nuhu got revenge over Faustina Amoah who beat her in Sekondi, crossing the line in 53.34s, a new Personal Best for the 2017 World Youth Championships runner.

The 800m women’s final was won by Selomey Agyei with a time of 2mins 09.10s, a new PB for her. She is still some way behind Martha Bissah’s circuit record of 2mins, 08.19s set in 2014.

The men’s events were equally exhilarating.

Sarfo Ansah of the University for Development Studies took 0.10s off his previous PB of 10.52s  to clock 10.42s, a new Championship record.

The University of Cape Coast’s own Duncan Agyemang, the GUSA games champion, set a new Circuit record of 46.59s in the men’s 400m, and later declared his readiness to run for Ghana’s 4x400m relay team.

Veteran heptathlete, Margaret Sampson, there 49.04m in the women’s javelin event, more than a meter less than the 50.30m she threw at the Sekondi event.

There were also glimpses of bright athletic talent from the senior high schools invited to the competition as guests.

St. Augustine’s College won the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays while Wesley Girls School won the women’s 4x100m while Mfantsiman Girls School won the 4x400m relays.

In the end, no athlete qualified for the Commonwealth Games but Public Relations Officer of the GA, Erasmus Kwaw, was impressed with the marked improvement he witnessed from all the athletes.

“After the Sekondi circuit, we put some of the athletes in camp, and the improvement was evident.

“Today’s circuit has to be one of the best I’ve ever seen. Remarkable times have been made by some of the athletes and we are very pleased with this,” he said.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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