Abdul-Rasheed Saminu has set a new Ghana national record in the men’s 100m, clocking an impressive 9.86 seconds to win at the NCAA East Preliminary Round on Friday.

The blistering performance not only secures his spot at the World Athletics Championships in September but also ties for the second fastest time in NCAA history and only 0.04s off the NCAA record held by Christian Coleman (9.82s).

A student at the University of South Florida (USF), Saminu shaved 0.04 seconds off the previous national record of 9.90 seconds, set by Benjamin Azamati in 2022. His time is also a new personal best and currently stands as the fastest recorded 100m time in the world this year.

This latest achievement continues a remarkable rise for the 27-year-old sprinter, who ran a wind-assisted 9.87 seconds just last month.

Saminu was named USF’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2024, recognized for his outstanding individual performances, including a 100m semifinal appearance at the Paris Olympic Games.

Since joining the USF track team, he has broken multiple indoor and outdoor records and was recently honored as a First Team All-American in the 60m dash during this year’s indoor season.

After missing out on the World Relays earlier this month in China, Saminu is expected to play a key role for Ghana as they aim for their first-ever track medal at the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.