In its first year of awarding, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) recently awarded four members of the Barton Community College track and field team with regional honors.  Voted and selected by coaches within the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Barton received four of the eight awards for the Central Region.

Headlining the selections was Head Coach David Schenek, along with Assistant Coach Tony Davis and student-athletes Lydia Mato and Sampson Laari.

Men's Coach of the Year (Central Region)
In his seventh season as Head Coach, Schenek recently helped lead the men's track and team to its twenty-seventh Region VI Indoor title after finishing fourteenth last season.  A 2010 recipient of the NJCAA Indoor Coach of the Meet, Coach Schenek and the No. 12 ranked Cougars have twenty-six entries into this weekend's NJCAA Indoor Championships taking place in Albuquerque, N.M.

Women's Assistant Coach of the Year (Central Region)
A former Barton track athlete, Davis returned to Barton this year for his first season as assistant coach primarily leading the sprint and hurdle events.  Finishing second in the conference and third in Region VI a year prior, Davis elevated the Lady Cougars to a conference championship and second place finish in this year's KJCCC/Region VI Indoor Championships.   Now ranked No. 6 in the nation, Davis and nineteen Lady Cougar entries will be competing this weekend at the NJCAA Indoor Championships taking place in Albuquerque, N.M.

Women's Track Athlete of the Year (Central Region)
One of the most dominant performers in not only school history but across the nation, eyes will be watching Mato this weekend at the NJCAA Indoor Championships taking place in Albuquerque, N.M.  Under the guidance and instruction of Assistant Coach Parker Cowles for the past two seasons, Mato has dominated the indoor and outdoor seasons winning just about every event she has ever entered while sweeping all region and national performance awards.  Most recently the sophomore from Ghana scored 48 points at the Region VI Indoor Championships, winning the 1000 meters, the Mile Run, 3000 meters, and 5000 meters while narrowly missing a fifth championship finishing second in the 800 meters.

Men's Track Athlete of the Year (Central Region)
Another dominant athlete under the guidance and instruction of Assistant Coach Parker Cowles for the past two seasons, Laari has consistently been a target for others to chase.  Recently scoring thirty-eight points at the Region VI Indoor Championships in taking home the Athlete of the Meet and Most Points Scored honors, the Ghana sophomore dominated the middle distances taking the title in the 800 meters, 1000 meters, and the Mile Run while equally impressive taking second in the 5000 meters. 

More information regarding the USTFCCCA 2015 honors can be found here