The Barton Community College men's track and field team sprinted to three first place finishes this past weekend in the K.T. Woodman Classic in Wichita, Kansas. The Cougars also had strong overall efforts with sixteen top-ten finishes to go along with seventeen personal best and sixteen national qualifying level performances.
McKinely West led a 1-2 charge down the 100m straightaway edging out teammate Chedlin Sagesse for the title as the duo both clocked national qualifying level times. West sped to a 10.38 title time while Sagesse set a new personal best with a 10.42. Taking another sprint title, Alex Richemond beat the eighty-seven man 200m field with a season best 21.12 to also exceed the national qualifying standard while Anthony Adderly wasn't far behind in third place at 21.56. The four also powered the 4X100m to its third gold on the track winning the fourteen team field with a time of 40.37.
The Cougars were also strong in the throwing events with seven throws exceeding the national qualifying mark. Ricky Nelson earned one of two of those marks with a second place discus throw of 54.44 (178-07) setting a new personal best with the third best throw in school history. Nelson's second mark came in the shot put with a 15.23m (49-11.75) tenth place while teammate Stevon Crooks came in fourteenth in the thirty-six man field at 14.55m (47-09.00).
Nelson's second place discus led a four Cougars in the forty-one man event with each exceeding the national qualifying standard. Romario Antoine placed 12th at 46.26m (151-09), Donald Daley in 14th at 45.55m (149-05), and Crooks' 44.17m (144-11) coming in 21st.
Tyler Patterson was the lone Barton javelin entry setting a new personal best on his first attempt soaring the spear a top-five nationally 56.27m (184-07) distance. Daley, who already owns the school hammer throw record, marked the eight best school throw finishing ninth at 54.20m (177-10).
Chasing the 3000m steeplechase qualifying standard, sophomore Devyn Brotherton not only exceeded the standard but put himself in the top-ten nationally with a personal best by over thirty-five seconds 9:40.16 time.
Leon Boyd led the jumpers hitting his personal best down the runway on his second triple jump to take fourth place exceeding the standard in the pit with a 14.92m (48-11.50) leap. In the long jump Sagesse took the tenth spot with a personal best 6.98m (22-11.00) while Alfredo Smith was one place behind at 6.83m (22-05.00).
Two hurdlers ran and jumped their way exceeding the 110m hurdle standards with Kadeem Williams' personal best 14.77 to finish fourth while Louis Rivers finished twelfth at 15.11. Jordan Washington rounded out the Barton entries with a 27th placing at 16.01.
Other Barton results: NQ = National qualifying standard; PB = Personal best performance; SB = Season best performance
200m: 1st – Alex Richemond (NQ SB 21.12), 3rd – Anthony Adderly (21.56), 19th – Mike Williams (PB 22.30), 29th – Adama Mbye (PB 22.58), 52nd – Donneldo Harris (23.13), 76th – Alfredo Smith (PB 23.99)
400m: 10th – Paul Kinney (49.31), 13th Paul Willis (49.78), 18th – Anthony Forrest (PB 50.11), 23rd – Adama Mbye (PB 50.40), 26th – Michael Williams (PB 50.70), 49th – Donneldo Harris (PB 52.49)
800m: 7th – Anthony Forrest (PB 1:56.02), 14th – Tyler Thornton (1:58.62), 52nd – Treavon Ware (PR 2:08.88), 55th - Antonio Carrasco (2:11.59)
The Cougars will take a little time away from the track in preparation for the KJCCC and Region VI Outdoor Championships to be held April 28-30 in Garden City, Kansas.