University of New Hampshire Athletics
Abaka-Amuah Nominated for America East Man of the Year Award
5/14/2026 4:49:00 PM | General, Men's Track & Field
BOSTON – Yoofi Abaka-Amuah (Worcester, Mass.), a senior on the University of New Hampshire men's indoor and outdoor track and field teams, has been nominated for the 2025-26 America East Man of the Year award. The announcement was made Thursday afternoon by the conference.
From the pool of nine candidates, three finalists will be announced May 26 and the recipient will be named June 2 at the conference's annual awards dinner.
Abaka-Amuah received UNH's 2026 Jim Urquhart Outstanding Male Student-Athlete Award earlier this month. The accolade recognizes athletic success, community involvement and academic achievement through their Wildcat careers.
Abaka-Amuah was named the 2026 Indoor Track & Field Performer of the Year to become the first Wildcat to earn that accolade. He was named the conference's Field Performer of the Week twice during the indoor season and twice more during the outdoor season.
Abaka-Amuah capped his senior indoor season with a NEICAAA Championship win in the men's shot put with a 60 foot-2 inch toss to mark his third New England championship in the event in as many years with the Wildcats; he previously took home the top spot in 2025 and 2024.
Preceding his third consecutive New England championship, Abaka-Amuah swept the throws at the 2026America East Indoor Championship by winning the men's weight throw with a 69-6 toss before leading the competition in the men's shot put with a 61-4.75 throw to break the America East Championship meet record.
At the end of the indoor season, Abaka-Amuah paced the conference in both the men's weight throw (69-6) and the men's shot put (63-9.75) to break the UNH men's indoor track and field school record in the shot put while also finishing the season ranking 17th in the NCAA – one place from qualifying for the national meet.
He has continued to excel through the 2026 outdoor season and broke the school record in the shot put with a mark of 18.92m (62-1) at the UNH Wildcat Invitational on April 25. Abaka-Amuah also recorded a personal-best throw of 52.65m (172-9) in the discus at that meet.
Abaka-Amuah earned a total of 22 team points at the 2026 America East Outdoor Track &
Field Championships, which were held May 9-10, with a gold medal in the shot put and bronze medal in both the hammer and discus. It was a half-point behind the top scoring men's athlete at the meet.
Abaka-Amuah won the shot put for the second consecutive year with a throw of 18.85 meters (61 feet-10.25 inches) on his fifth attempt. He led from start to finish after recording a mark of 17.26m in the first round. He is the eighth man and first since UNH's Zachary Astle (2019, 2021) to win consecutive shot put titles.
Earlier in the day, Abaka-Amuah was the top 'Cat and third overall in the discus at 51.32m (168-4) on his fifth throw.
He entered the hammer finals in third place with a mark of 59.35m and was in fifth place when he recorded a throw of 64.63m to climb into second place. He recorded a personal-best effort of 65.03m (215-1) on his last throw and finished in third place.
Abaka-Amuah is currently ranked #13 in the shot put and #25 in the hammer in the East region, which qualifies him to compete in both events at the NCAA First Round on May 27-30 at the University of Kentucky.
Abaka-Amuah did advance to the 2025 outdoor NCAA First Round in the shot put after winning gold in that event at both New Englands and America East. He was runner-up in the shot put at the America East outdoor championships.
Abaka-Amuah recorded a 3.55 GPA in the fall 2025 semester to raise his cumulative GPA to 3.05 in pursuit of a math education degree. He has also logged a number of observation hours toward his teaching career.
Abaka-Amuah is first on the team to volunteer during team community service events, and he also helps direct and organize teammates as a strong leader in the program.
The nominees represent all nine member institutions. Student-athletes were nominated by their own institution for the honor, which recognizes the conference's senior or graduate student female student-athletes who have best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have competed in an America East sponsored sport and completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2026 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2026 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale). Institutions are permitted to submit up to two nominees for each award if at least one is an international or ethnic minority student-athlete.
America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015.
UNH field hockey player Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) is the Wildcats' nominee for 2025-26 America East Woman of the Year. CLICK HERE to read the Nicole Poulakis press release.
From the pool of nine candidates, three finalists will be announced May 26 and the recipient will be named June 2 at the conference's annual awards dinner.
Abaka-Amuah received UNH's 2026 Jim Urquhart Outstanding Male Student-Athlete Award earlier this month. The accolade recognizes athletic success, community involvement and academic achievement through their Wildcat careers.
Abaka-Amuah was named the 2026 Indoor Track & Field Performer of the Year to become the first Wildcat to earn that accolade. He was named the conference's Field Performer of the Week twice during the indoor season and twice more during the outdoor season.
Abaka-Amuah capped his senior indoor season with a NEICAAA Championship win in the men's shot put with a 60 foot-2 inch toss to mark his third New England championship in the event in as many years with the Wildcats; he previously took home the top spot in 2025 and 2024.
Preceding his third consecutive New England championship, Abaka-Amuah swept the throws at the 2026America East Indoor Championship by winning the men's weight throw with a 69-6 toss before leading the competition in the men's shot put with a 61-4.75 throw to break the America East Championship meet record.
At the end of the indoor season, Abaka-Amuah paced the conference in both the men's weight throw (69-6) and the men's shot put (63-9.75) to break the UNH men's indoor track and field school record in the shot put while also finishing the season ranking 17th in the NCAA – one place from qualifying for the national meet.
He has continued to excel through the 2026 outdoor season and broke the school record in the shot put with a mark of 18.92m (62-1) at the UNH Wildcat Invitational on April 25. Abaka-Amuah also recorded a personal-best throw of 52.65m (172-9) in the discus at that meet.
Abaka-Amuah earned a total of 22 team points at the 2026 America East Outdoor Track &
Field Championships, which were held May 9-10, with a gold medal in the shot put and bronze medal in both the hammer and discus. It was a half-point behind the top scoring men's athlete at the meet.
Abaka-Amuah won the shot put for the second consecutive year with a throw of 18.85 meters (61 feet-10.25 inches) on his fifth attempt. He led from start to finish after recording a mark of 17.26m in the first round. He is the eighth man and first since UNH's Zachary Astle (2019, 2021) to win consecutive shot put titles.
Earlier in the day, Abaka-Amuah was the top 'Cat and third overall in the discus at 51.32m (168-4) on his fifth throw.
He entered the hammer finals in third place with a mark of 59.35m and was in fifth place when he recorded a throw of 64.63m to climb into second place. He recorded a personal-best effort of 65.03m (215-1) on his last throw and finished in third place.
Abaka-Amuah is currently ranked #13 in the shot put and #25 in the hammer in the East region, which qualifies him to compete in both events at the NCAA First Round on May 27-30 at the University of Kentucky.
Abaka-Amuah did advance to the 2025 outdoor NCAA First Round in the shot put after winning gold in that event at both New Englands and America East. He was runner-up in the shot put at the America East outdoor championships.
Abaka-Amuah recorded a 3.55 GPA in the fall 2025 semester to raise his cumulative GPA to 3.05 in pursuit of a math education degree. He has also logged a number of observation hours toward his teaching career.
Abaka-Amuah is first on the team to volunteer during team community service events, and he also helps direct and organize teammates as a strong leader in the program.
The nominees represent all nine member institutions. Student-athletes were nominated by their own institution for the honor, which recognizes the conference's senior or graduate student female student-athletes who have best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have competed in an America East sponsored sport and completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2026 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2026 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale). Institutions are permitted to submit up to two nominees for each award if at least one is an international or ethnic minority student-athlete.
America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015.
UNH field hockey player Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) is the Wildcats' nominee for 2025-26 America East Woman of the Year. CLICK HERE to read the Nicole Poulakis press release.
Players Mentioned
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