Kofi Owusu-Ansah was the first YSU track and field athlete to compete at the NCAA Championships finishing 15th in the 200 meters at the 2000 indoor meet.
The 1999-2000 YSU/Vindicator Student-Athlete of the Year, Owusu-Ansah set nine school marks and was a seven-time (four outdoor and three indoor) individual conference champion in the sprint events from 1996-2000.
At the 2000 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., Owusu-Ansah ran a time of 21.36 seconds in the 200 to finish 15th. He qualified for the meet in both the 60 and 200 meters.
At the 2000 Indoor Mid-Con meet, Owusu-Ansah won the 60-meter dash (6.80 seconds), was second in the 200, fourth in the 400 and seventh in the long jump. In his final competition at the 2000 outdoor league event, he won the 100-meter (10.48 seconds) and 200-meter (21.27 seconds) dashes while being named the Runner of the Year.
At the 1999 outdoor meet, he won the 200 meters (20.89 seconds), was second in the 100 and third in the long jump. He redshirted during the 1998-99 campaign.
In 1997-98, he placed third in the long jump at the indoor meet and he redshirted during the 1998 outdoor slate.
He won the 55-meter dash (6.42 seconds) at the 1997 indoor meet. He won the 200 (22.66 seconds) at the outdoor championships while placing second in the 100.
During his freshman year, he helped set the stage for an impressive career by winning his first indoor title in his first conference meet. At the 1996 Mid-Con indoor championships he won the 55 meters (6.36) and was named the Running Newcomer of the Meet. In the outdoor campaign, he was second in the 100 and 200.
A winner of more than 50 races during his Penguins career, he was a 13-time conference athlete of the week, a three-time team captain and a three-time academic all-conference pick.
A native of Ghana, Owusu-Ansah earned his degree in Business Administration (Marketing Management) in June 2000.
He is a Senior Customer Service Trainer for Verizon Wireless. He also is the head track and field coach at Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio. He has been in that position for two years after previously serving as an assistant for four campaigns. He helped coach his brother, Akwasi, who was an All-American defensive back at IUP and is now a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
Prior to coming to YSU, he placed fourth in the long jump at the 1995 State Championships and was a state qualifier in the long jump and 100-meter dash in 1994. He set school records in the long jump and the 400 meters.
He has two children, Tyler Kellam and Joseph Owusu-Ansah.
