Angelo State's Opare Named Men’s Track Athlete of the Year

NEW ORLEANS, LA — Angelo State freshman William Opare was named the USTFCCCA National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year following the 2026 outdoor season, the organization announced on Thursday.

Opare, a sprinter from Accra, Ghana, qualified for five events at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships — the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay.

He earned the national honor after previously being named the Lone Star Conference Athlete of the Year and the USTFCCCA South Central Region Athlete of the Year. Opare also completed a sweep of the awards, having been named the national track athlete of the year during the indoor season.

The marketing major scored 22.5 points at the outdoor national meet, winning individual titles in the 200 meters and 400 meters while anchoring the 4x400 relay team to a national championship.

Opare posted a time of 44.95 seconds in the 400 meters, a personal best that set a facility record at Francis G. Welch Stadium and ranked as the fifth-fastest time in Division II history. The mark also set a new Angelo State program record, surpassing the previous mark of 45.69 set in 2016, and established a Ghanaian national record.

In the 200 meters, Opare recorded a personal-best time of 20.45 seconds to claim his third individual national title.

The 4x400 relay team of Taylor Briggs, Jahleel Armstrong, Rami Balti and Opare finished with a time of 3:04.46, setting both a facility and program record.

Opare is the first Angelo State athlete to be named the Outdoor National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.