Knocking on the door of a school record and claiming three individual titles, the Barton Community College men's track and field team opened up the 2018 indoor season this past weekend at the University of Nebraska's Graduate Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska. Formerly known as the Holiday Inn Invitational, the Cougars' three titles were among twenty top ten finishes against two and four-year level competition in the nineteen team field.
Making noise in his Cougar debut, Kevin Nedrick nearly broke the school's shot put record on his fourth collegiate heave of the meet with a toss of 18.02m (59-01.50). Eclipsing the 17.50 mark on four of his six throws, Nedrick's winning throw fell just .02m of Garland Porter's mark set at the 2003 indoor national meet. Sanjae Lawrence, who flirted with the record last season with a second best 17.65m, also had a great start to the year with a new personal best 17.70m (58-01.00) to take the runner-up placing.
The other two first place finishes came on the track as both the men and women swept the 60m as Terence Ware joined the Lady Cougars' title from Keosha Sanders in clocking a personal best 6.70 with Samson Colebrooke coming in fifth at 6.87. Dartez Hamlin led a 1-2 Barton finish in the 200m clocking a 21.74 to edge out sophomore Christian Lyon's personal best 21.75.
Lawrence and Lyon were joined by two other Cougars with runner-up finishes in the two day meet. On Friday, Timothy Wilson competed in the unseeded division of the high jump with a second place height of 1.94m (6-04.25). In Saturday's seeded high jump event, Willie Rogers' 2.03m (6-08.00) height was good for third while Alvin McCray placed fourth at 1.99m (6-06.25). Hilton McClain, Jr. earned the last of the individual second places with a 49.62 in the 400m while Adriano Gumbs placed fifth at 50.05.
Like their women's counterparts, the 4x400m relay team witnessed the backside of the home Huskers' jersey to the finish line as the tandem of Brandon Felix, Kenroy Williams, Travis Hugg, and Gumbs clocked a runner-up time of 3:19.52.
Complete Barton Men's Results:
Long Jump: Bradley Fleurinord (4th, PR 7.19m, 23-07.25), Willie Rodgers (13th, PR 6.62m, 21-08.75), Travis Hugg (16th, 6.48m, 21-03.25)
Triple Jump: Alvin McCray (3rd, PR 14.68m, 48-02.00), Timothy Wilson (7th, 14.13m, 46-04.25)
High Jump: Willie Rodgers (3rd, 2.03m, 6-08.00), Alvin McCray (4th, 1.99m, 6-06.25)
Shot Put: Kevin Nedrick (1st, 18.02m, 59-01.50, *2nd best school history), Sanjae Lawrence (2nd, PR 17.70m, 58-01.00, *3rd best school history)
Weight Throw: Enrique Martinez (5th, 16.15m, 53-00.00), Graham Sokol (11th, PR 15.67m, 51-05.00)
60m: Terence Ware (1st, PR 6.70), Samson Colebrooke (5th, 6.87), Demetri Keaton (10th, 7.04)
200m: Dartez Hamlin (1st, 21.74), Christian Lyon (2nd, PR 21.75)
400m: Hilton McClain, Jr. (2nd, 49.62), Adriano Gumbs (5th, 50.05)
600m: Michale Reyes (3rd, PR 1:20.84), Kenroy Williams (10th, 1:23.47), Marquise Hill (12th, 1:24.04)
1000m: Nathan Hood (5th, 2:34.27), Tallan James (6th, 2:34.31), Lyndon Burrell (17th, 2:46.60)
60m Hurdles: Stephon Torrence (3rd, 8.06), Tahj Whitfield (13th, 8.56)
4x400m Relay: 2nd, 3:19.52 (Brandon Felix, Kenroy Williams, Travis Hugg, Adriano Gumbs)
High Jump: Timothy Wilson (2nd, 1.94m, 6-04.25)