SAN ANTONIO — UTSA Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Aaron Fox announced on Monday that the program has signed Ayumi Kobayashi, a transfer from the University of Tsukuba that will join the Roadrunners beginning with the 2023 season.
A member of the Japan National Team, Kobayashi won a Japan national championship and set the Japanese national record in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2018 National High School Track and Field Championships, recording a time of 13.34 to top the 11-year-old mark by .05 seconds. She clocked a wind-aided 13.19 to place third at the 2021 Kanto University Championships and registered her top wind-aided time of the season with a 13.57 at the Michitaka Kinami Memorial Athletics Meet. She also posted a top indoor 60m hurdles time of 8.71 at the 2021 Japan Indoor Championships.
"We're thrilled about adding Ayumi to our signing class," Fox said. "She is one of the top young hurdlers in Japan, and she will have an immediate and positive impact on our program this coming season and beyond."
Kobayashi competed for the Tsukuba Athletics Club and graduated from Funabashi Municipal High School in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. She has also competed in the 100m (11.83) and 200m dash (25.60) and recorded a personal-best time of 1:02.08 in the 400m hurdles.
Kobayashi becomes the third member of the signing class, and second for the women's team, joining vertical jumper Edlin Laur and thrower Jabari Bennett.
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