Abigail Abugire smashes PB to win NCAA Division II 800m title

Ghanaian middle-distance starlet Abigail Abugire delivered a stunning performance to claim gold in the women’s 800m at the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado, setting a new personal best (PB) of 2:02.93.

The West Texas A&M University freshman announced herself as a rising force in collegiate athletics, overcoming fierce competition to secure victory in a thrilling final.

Road to gold

Abugire’s journey began in Heat 3 of the preliminaries, where she clocked 2:05.84 to edge out Jamaica’s Shaneal Clarke-Giddings (2:05.90) and France’s Olivia Alexandre (2:06.55).

Her time placed her second overall in the qualifying rounds, behind only Britain’s Helen Braybrook, who led with 2:05.15 and emerged as a pre-race favourite.

But when it mattered most, the 21-year-old Ghanaian phenom saved her best for last. In a nail-biting final, Abugire surged ahead in the closing stages, smashing her PB with a winning time of 2:02.93—nearly a full second faster than Braybrook (2:03.67). America’s Jade Avance (2:06.28) rounded out the podium in third.

A star on the rise

Abugire’s breakthrough victory cements her status as one of Ghana’s most promising track talents.

Her ability to deliver under pressure against elite international competition hints at a bright future, with potential call-ups to Ghana’s national team on the horizon.

Fans across West Africa and beyond will be eager to see if she can translate her NCAA success onto the global stage in upcoming events like the African Championships and World Athletics meets.