Sophomore Kwaku Nkrumah turned in one of the greatest performances in the storied history of Glassboro / Rowan University track Monday afternoon, running the 9th-fastest hurdles time in NCAA Division 3 history and shattering the meet and school record at the NJAC Championships.
Nkrumah led a 1-2-3-4-5 Rowan sweep, winning in an eye-popping 7.93 at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island. The previous meet record at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships was 8.03, set by Rowan’s David Benjamin at the 2017 meet, also at Ocean Breeze.
Nkrumah broke the school record of 7.96, set three weeks ago by Rowan junior Marquise Young of Sterling.
His 7.93 is No. 2 in NCAA Division 3 this year, behind all-time D-3 No. 2 Luke Schroeder of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who ran 7.80 earlier this month on his home track.
Rowan’s 1-2-3-4-5 finish was worth 33 points and put the Profs over the 100-point mark after just four events.
Nkrumah graduated in 2022 from Teaneck (where your trusty From the Backstretch correspondant spent his sophomore year on the track team … go Highwaymen!), ran 8.23 and 14.44 over the 39-inch hurdles and was a medalist in the outdoor Meet of Champions.
He ran 8.21 last winter and was 2nd to Young in the conference meet. He won the 110 highs at the outdoor conference meet and then earned All-America honors with a 4th-place finish at NCAA Division 3 Nationals.
Nkrumah lowered his indoor PR from 8.21 to 8.14 in his indoor opener in December – also at Ocean Breezer – and then down to 8.12 late last month at another meet at Ocean Breeze. Then he PR’d with an 8.11 this past weekend – again, at Ocean Breeze.
Also for Rowan in the hurdles, sophomore Jason Agyemang from North Plainfield was 2nd in 8.16, Young 3rd in 8.17, sophomore Michael Lawrence from South Plainfield 4th with a PR 8.35, sophomore Anaias Hughes from Willingboro 5th in 8.39 and freshman Jacob Kiyler of Toms River North 7th after an 8.07 in the prelims.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 