CINCINNATI - Carlos Kouassi, a seven-time Swiss national champion, has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and athletic careers with the University of Cincinnati track & field program, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Susan Seaton announced today. Kouassi brings a wealth of competitive success with him as he also has represented his native Switzerland five times in European competitions.
The newest addition to the 2019-20 signing class, Kouassi will join the Bearcats this fall and have four years of eligibility to compete. He will join six other individuals that signed earlier with the program, including Kirsten Clay (Van Wert, Ohio/Van Wert HS) in the throws; Anaya Dees (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton HS) in the jumps and hurdles; Jodie Pierce (Fairborn, Ohio/Beavercreek HS) in cross country and distance track; Alicia Thorpe (Highland Springs, Va./Highland Springs HS) in the sprints; and Leonie Troeger (Berlin, Germany/Sportgymnasium Halle) in the javelin. The men's team will add Korbin Spencer (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern HS) in the throws.
Kouassi
has won four outdoor and three indoor Swiss titles since 2016 with four titles won at the senior championships and three at the junior event. In February, he added his most recent title as he jumped a personal-best mark of 15.76m to captured the Swiss Indoor Championships title in St. Gallen, a mark that also stands as the Swiss U23 national record. At the 2019 outdoor senior championships, he jumped his previous personal-best mark of 15.75m to grab his first outdoor senior-level national title after winning indoor senior championships in both 2018 and 2019.
His success has not been limited to national competitions as he has earned the right to represent Switzerland in five European Championship events dating back to the 2015 Euro Youth Championships in which he placed eighth in the long jump in his international debut. Since then, he posted his all-time best international finish as he was fourth at the 2016 Euro Youth Championships in the triple jump while also placing 15th in the long jump. Last season, he twice represented the Swiss as he was 24th in the triple jump in the Euro Junior Outdoor Championships before placing 12th at the Euro Senior Team Championships.
// SIGNEE BIO
Carlos Kouassi
Jumps • Basel, Switzerland • Club: LAS Old Boys Basel
Seven-time Swiss national champion in the triple jump, including four outdoor and three indoor crowns... four of those titles came at the Swiss Senior Championships with the remaining three earned at the junior championships... most recently won the indoor national title (Feb. 16, 2020) at St. Gallen with an indoor and overall personal-best leap of 15.76m... that mark also stands as the Swiss national junior record... jumped his outdoor PR of 15.75m at the 2019 senior championships in Basel... indoors, started his winning ways with the 2018 senior title with a mark of 15.50m, which also ranked him #14 on the world junior lists that year... added the indoor title in 2019 (15.46m) as well... outdoors, won the 2017 junior triple jump title (15.24m) and added a silver medal in the long jump (7.04m)... added another title at the 2018 junior outdoor (14.96m) as well... has represented Switzerland in five European events since 2015... placed eighth at the 2015 Euro Youth Championships in the long jump (6.72m)... finished fourth in the triple jump and 15th in the long jump at the 2016 Euro Youth meet... twice jumped in the Euro Junior Championships, placing 15th in 2017 and 24th in 2019... competed in the 2019 Euro Team Championships as well, placing 12th in the triple jump.
Bearcats Track & Field Adds Carlos Kouassi
Carlos Kouassi, a seven-time Swiss national champion, has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and athletic careers with the University of Cincinnati track & field program, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Susan Seaton announced today.
