AUSTIN, Texas — Benjamin Azamati of West Texas A&M became the first sub-10 seconds runner this season after posting 9.97 seconds to win his heat at the 2021 Texas Relays at the Mike Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Friday. Azamati who was running the first-ever sub-10 seconds of his career broke the meeting record of 10.01, which was set in 2014 by former Baylor star Trayvon Bromell.
Record-Breaking Run From Azamati
The 23-year-old who is coming off a great indoor season in which he won the men’s 60 meters title at the 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships, got off to a good start before pulling away from the rest of the field at the halfway mark en route to his new personal best.
The Buff freshman from Ghana smashed his previous personal best of 10.32 when achieving his winning time with a legal wind speed of 1.5 m/s. He ran away from TJ Brock Jr. of TCU who ran 10.31 for second place in the heat and LSU’s Dorian Camel who was third in 10.40.
Azamati will undoubtedly start as the overwhelming favorite to win the final on Saturday.
Lots Of Wind-Aided Times In Other Heats
Meanwhile, also booking a place in the final of the men’s 100m on Saturday’s third day is Oklahoma senior Jackson Webb after he won his heat and qualified with the second-fastest time of the day with 10.03, although his performance was aided by a heavy +4.5 m/s trailing wind.
Tavarius Wright from North Carolina A&T ran a wind-aided 10.06 (+4.1 m/s) to secure a spot in the final as well, so too did Oklahoma junior Demarius Smith who ran a wind-assisted 10.07 (+4.5 m/s) to book his place as the fourth-fastest qualifier.
Houston’s Travis Collins (10.23, +2.3 m/s), Bryan Henderson of Sam Houston (10.29), Emmanuel Yeboah of Texas A&M (10.34, 2.4 m/s), and New Orleans sophomore Ismael Kone (10.36) will also race in the final of the men’s 100m this weekend.
It should be another quick race!
