Trio break national records, Barton women's title chase comes up short at NJCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships #GoBarton

Breaking a trio of national records highlighted another title chase for the Barton Community College women's track and field team in an eventual runner-up finish at the 2024 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.

Scoring 93 points at the historic Brown Stadium/Groseclose Track at the University of University of Louisiana Monroe, Barton's bid to follow their indoor national title consisted of winning four individual events among their 15 scoring events with two of Barton's crowns breaking program, national meet, and the NJCAA's all-time best performances.

Fifteen of the Cougars' performances landed points on the scoreboard in coming up five points short of New Mexico Junior College's winning 98 but fifteen points secured in the runner-up spot ahead of Cloud County Community College.

Both record breakers came on Friday, Treneese Hamilton the first to do so during the mid-afternoon shot put competition. Warming up with a pair of 50'-plus tosses, Hamilton pushed over six feet further on her third toss to break all three records in marking a 17.46m (57-03.50) to win the event by over seven feet.

The mark broke Lavatavia Maines's 2018 program record distance of 16.46m (54-00.00), Central Arizona's Devia Brown's 2019 meet record of 16.67m (54-08.25), as well as, Brown's 16.94m (55-07.00) national all-time best mark.

Hamilton compiled the field female athletes' top points with 19 total, finishing third in the overall MVP list, adding a 4th place in the hammer on a personal best 49.84m (163-06) to land just outside the program's top ten chart and a 5th placing in the javelin with another personal best effort of 46.45m (152-04) moving up two spots on the program all-time list to 4th best.

Giving the Cougars two in the top three of the female field MVP list, Jazmine Williamson compiled 15.5 points topped by her Thursday long jump national championship with a 6.25m (20-06.25) mark before placing third the following day in the high jump on a 1.68m (5-06.00) height. Williamson, who leaves the program as the No. 2 furthest long jump mark, also competed in the Saturday's triple jump in placing 10th overall at 11.41m (37-05.25).

Perhaps the most exciting field event of the championships came later on Friday in the evening's discus throw as Cedricka Williams and Ivanilda Semedo battled it out for the top spot under the lights in the day's final event as both would break the meet record.

Sitting 1-2 in the standings through four attempts, Semedo took the lead with a fifth round 57.77m (189-06) mark breaking the meet record of 56.51m (185-05) set in 2022 by Central Arizona's Princess Kara and bettering her program and national second best effort by five inches.

The record would be short lived as Williams followed in the order bringing out the official measuring tape for the second time in sailing the disc two inches further in setting the meet's top mark at 57.80m (189-08) to oddly enough tie her NJCAA All-Time best and leave her time as a Cougar in the top spot.

Barton began the three days of competition getting off to a national champion start in the heptathlon as Ana Couto won four of the seven events compiling a program 5th most 5298 points to win the multis by 528 points.

Couto posted six personal or season best efforts in the seven events to move up two slots on the program chart, winning four of the challenges including the initial 100m hurdles before beating the 800m field by three seconds on a personal best 2:21.12 to end the competition. A personal best 1.56m (5-01.25) high jump earned fifth place followed by first place showings in the shot put (12.38m, 40-07.50) and 200m recording a .30 second victory and a new collegiate fastest time of 25 seconds flat. Fouling on her first two long jump attempts to begin day two action, Couto soared to a personal best 5.64m (18-06.00) to place second, marked a season best 33.00m (108-03) to finish third in the javelin, before concluding the championship by taking the lead in the final 200m to win the 800m.

Leading Barton's competitors on the track was freshman Keliza Smith, finishing national runner-up in the 100m (11.54) with a 3rd placing in the 200m (23.79).

Smith also help earn the Cougars a 5th placing in the 4x100m relay, teaming with Chloe Perryman, Maria Umoibang, and Ashley Shaw, clocking a 45.43 baton handling around the oval.

Posting the program's second fastest ever time in the 1500m earlier in the season, Sanae Hassnaoui finished 3rd on Saturday with a 4:32.77.

Kay-Lagay Clarke finished 6th in the triple jump on a season best 11.94m (39-02.25) mark, to go along, with an 8th place finish in the 110m hurdles at 14.29.

Barton's NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championship Results (Complete Results): (PR/PB = Personal record/best;SB = Season Best)
Heptathlon: CHAMPION Ana Couto (PB 5298 points *Moves up from 7th to 5th Program Best)
- 1st in 100m Hurdles (SB 14.18)
- 5th in High Jump (PB 1.56m, 5-01.25)
- 1st in Shot Put (12.38m, 40-07.50)
- 1st in 200m (PB 25.00)
- 2nd in Long Jump (PB 5.64m, 18-06.00)
- 3rd in Javelin (SB 33.00m, 108-03)
- 1st in 800m (PB 2:21.12)

100m: Runner-Up Keliza Smith (11.54), 11th Ashley Shaw (11.86)
100m Hurdles: 8th Kay-Lagay Clarke (14.29 *14.00 in Prelims), 12th Ana Couto (14.37)
200m: 3rd Keliza Smith (23.79), 11th Ashley Shaw (24.32)
400m Hurdles: 9th Kialia Claiborne (1:03.79 *Missed finals by .71secs)
800m: 14th Shone Walters (2:17.16), DNF Sanae Hassnaoui
1500m: 3rd Sanae Hassnaoui (4:32.77 *Already has 2nd Program Best)
4x100m Relay: 5th 45.43 (*45.40 Prelims), (Chloe Perryman, Keliza Smith, Maria Umoibang, Ashley Shaw)
Hammer Throw: 4th Treneese Hamilton (PB 49.84m, 163-06.00 *just outside program T-10), 10th Kyndall Blessing (43.74m, 143-06.00), 15th Ivanilda Semedo (42.05m, 137-11)
High Jump: 3rd Jazmine Williamson (SB 1.68m, 5-06.00)
Long Jump: CHAMPION Jazmine Williamson (6.25m, 20-06.25 *Already 2nd Program Best), 7th Chloe Perryman (5.91m, 19-04.75), 17th Kay-Lagay Clarke (5.44m, 17-10.25)
Triple Jump: 6th Kay-Lagay Clarke (SB 11.94m, 39-02.25), 10th Jazmine Williamson (11.41m, 37-05.25)
Shot Put: CHAMPION Treneese Hamilton (PB 17.46m, 57-03.50 *NJCAA All-Time Best, Meet Record, Program Record), 14th Ivanilda Semedo (12.01m, 39-05.00)
Discus Throw: CHAMPION Cedricka Williams (T-PB 57.80m, 189-07 *Tied her NJCAA All-Time Best, Meet Record, T-Program Record), Runner-Up Ivanilda Semedo (57.77m, 189-06 *Also broke Meet Record **Already has #2 NJCAA All-Time Best), 15th Treneese Hamilton (35.65m, 116-11)
Javelin: 5th Treneese Hamilton (PB 46.45m, 152-04 *Moves up from 6th to 4th Program Best), 13th Kyndall Blessing (38.62m, 126-08.00)