The Barton Community College men's track and field team wrapped up the indoor season this weekend placing seventh at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships held at The Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Cougars' 4X400 Meter Relay team capped off the 40 points in the meet with a national championship to help Barton surpass last year's 18 points and fourteen place finish.
Ranked sixth in the nation coming in, 4X400 Meter Relay tandem of Deron Gordon, Deandre Henderson, Quick Stukes, and Kennedy Mayweather sped past their third heat competition and waited for the final heat to finish up before finding out their 3:11.70 time was nearly a second faster giving Barton the title.
Sampson Laari bettered his 1000 Meter seventh place finish last year to finish runner-up coming just .23 seconds shy of the title crossing the line in 2:29.79.
Barton got on the board in the first race held on Friday as another relay team put together a good run. Ranked tenth in the Distance Medley coming in, the team of Laari, Micah Carey, Anthony Forrest, and Devyn Brotherton blew past the field by nine seconds in the opening heat. Posting a 10:20.97 time, the Cougars had five teams record better in the second heat pushing the Cougars down to a sixth place finish.
Continuing the Cougars' strong showing in the relays, the 4X800 Meter Relay pulled off another first heat best time before playing the waiting game for the second heat. When the dust had settled the team of Forrest, Elder Colindres, Brady Holler, and Tony Perez placed fourth in the nation clocking a 7:56.40 time.
Carrying on the theme of winning the heat and playing the waiting game for the first heat results, Henderson added to the Barton team total coming in fifth place 400 Meter with a time of 47.96. Alexander Richemond came in one place better in the 200 Meter taking the first heat in a 21.32 time to place fourth.
Barton will now turn the attention to the outdoor season beginning March 20 at the John Mitchell Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Complete results can be found here