The nation's second ranked Barton Community College men's track and field team competed this past weekend in Texas and New Mexico, with most of the squad competing in the Don Kirby Tailwind Collegiate Open in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the throwers competing at 7th Annual West Texas A&M Classic and Multis held in Canyon, Texas.
The Cougars accumulated nineteen personal best performances in New Mexico and a school record in Texas, coming away from the weekend with 29 Top-8 placings including four champions.
In Texas, steadily climbing up the school's top hammer throw marks throughout his freshman and now sophomore season, Enrique Martinez reset the new school record by over 2.5 meters with a throw of 61.13m (200-07). Capturing the Classic title, Martinez' throw is tops in the NJCAA by over six meters as the El Salvadorian also set a new national record in the process. Marking the third straight year the school hammer throw has been broken, Martinez eclipsed last year's 58.59m (192-02) throw of Ricky Nelson at the Region VI Championships.
Barton had two other Cougars in the hammer throw event with each also throwing a personal best in finishing third and sixth respectively as Graham Sokol threw a NJCAA third best 54.44m (178-07) while Trey Lee recorded a 43.64m (143-02) mark.
In Friday's action, current school shot put record holder Sanjae Lawrence won the Classic title with a season best and third on the chart 17.85m (58-06.75) with freshman Kevin Nedrick placing third at 16.06m (52-08.25).
Nedrick also had a good day in the ring by exceeding the Jamaican's personal discus throw best by two meters with a NJCAA second best mark of 51.35m (168-06) in finishing third while Lawrence placed 8th with a personal best 48.75m (159-11) to rank 5th in the NJCAA.
Christian Lyon, last week's conference track athlete of the week after a blazing 10.00 clocking in the 100m at the Texas Relays, doubled up the track length to 200m in capturing his second straight meet with the Open title in New Mexico. Lyon led a three Cougar contingent in the event as each set a new personal record with Lyon's time of 20.89 landing fourth best time on the NJCAA performance list with Dartez Hamlin's third place 21.17 is the tenth best nationally.
Travis Hugg, who competed in the 200 event for the first time in clocking a 21.80, posted another personal best on the day coming away with the long jump title with a nation's third best leap of 7.67 (25-02.00). Alvin McCray's new personal best 7.56m (24-09.75) earned third place on the nation's fourth best leap with Willie Rodgers placing sixth (7.27m, 23-10.25), Bradley Fleurinord seventh (7.25m, 23-09.50), while Cirr Davis and Timothy Wilson landed in personal best distances of 6.95m (22-09.75) and 6.86m (22-06.25) to place 12th and 13th respectively.
The jump crew also had success in the triple jump in claiming four of the top eight placers. Ranked 6th nationally, McCray led the crew with a fourth place triple of 14.65m (48-00.75) with Rodgers finishing close behind in fifth place with a personal best 14.61m (47-11.25) which is good for the 13th spot on the NJCAA list. Also leaping a personal best, Davis' 14.51m (47-07.25) was good for 6th place with Wilson's 13.95m (45-09.25) placing 8th.
The hurdle crew also claimed four spots within the top eight with 5th ranked Stephon Torrence taking third place in the 110 hurdles with a 14.58 and Marquise Hill finishing runner-up in the 400m hurdles in a season best and sixth national time of 52.94 to lead the crew. Brandon Felix joined Hill in the long distance hurdles for a fourth place season time of 53.44 to rank 8th nationally while Torrence's first time in the 400m length was good for a nation's 13th best time of 54.83. Also making a debut in the hurdles at any length, Tahj Whitfield clocked a 15.34 to finish 9th in the field.
A couple of other Cougars made outdoor debuts in an event, with Darrien Wells and Adriano Gumbs placing fourth and sixth respectively in the 400m with Wells' 47.39 clocking good for 12th nationally while Gumbs' 47.54 ranks 17th. Kemarni Mighty placed 11th in 48.52 with Kyle Mason, Jr.'s personal best 49.00 came in 12th.
In the greater distances around the oval, Nathan Hood set a new personal best in the 800m, finishing third in a nation's third best time of 1:52.02. Ranked 13th in the event, Tallan James placed 10th in 2:09.30 but his big accomplishment of the meet came earlier in the day by meeting the NJCAA 1500m qualifying time by crossing in a nation's 11th best time of 4:03.06 to place 5th in the Open.
Ranked 4th in the NJCAA, the 4x400m relay team of Mighty, Charlie Forbes, Wells, and Hamlin finished runner-up to UTEP in 3:14.40 while the second wave of Cougar tandem of Felix, Gumbs, Mason, and Torrence placed third in 3:17.58.
The Cougars' next meet is much closer to home as the Cougars travel to Wichita on Friday for the two day KT Woodman Classic at Cessna Stadium.
Complete Barton Men Results:
7th Annual West Texas A&M Classic and Multis:
Hammer Throw – CHAMPION Enrique Martinez (PB 61.13m, 200-07, School Record, El Salvador national record, 1st in NJCAA); 3rd Graham Sokol (PB 54.44m, 178-07, 3rd NJCAA), 6th Trey Lee (PB 43.64m, 143-02)
Shot Put - CHAMPION Sanjae Lawrence (17.85m, 58-06.75 *3rd best school history, 1st in NJCAA), 3rd Kevin Nedrick (16.06m, 52-08.25, 2nd in NJCAA)
Discus Throw - 3rd Place Kevin Nedrick (PB by two meters - 51.35m, 168-06 *2nd best NJCAA), 8th Sanjae Lawrence (PB 48.75m, 159-11 *5th best NJCAA)
Don Kirby Tailwind Collegiate Open:
Long Jump - CHAMPION Travis Hugg (PB 7.67m, 25-02.00 3rd NJCAA), 3rd Alvin McCray (PB 7.56m, 24-09.75 4th NJCAA); 6th Willie Rodgers (7.27m, 23-10.25), 7th Bradley Fleurinord (7.25m, 23-09.50); 12th Cirr Davis (PB 6.95m, 22-09.75), 13th Timothy Wilson (PB 6.86m, 22-06.25)
Triple Jump - 4th Alvin McCray (14.65m, 48-00.75, ranked 6th NJCAA), 5th Willie Rodgers (PB 14.61m, 47-11.25, 13th NJCAA), 6th Cirr Davis (PB 14.51m, 47-07.25), 8th Timothy Wilson (13.95m, 45-09.25)
110m H - 3rd Stephon Torrence 14.58 (Ranked 5th NJCAA), 9th Tahj Whitfield 15.34 *1st time in event
M's 400m H - 2nd Marquise Hill (SB 52.94 Convert to 53.05 6th best NJCAA), 4th Brandon Felix (SB 53.44/53.55 8th best NJCAA), 6th Stephon Torrence (PR 54.83/54.94 1st time in event, 13th best NJCAA)
200m - CHAMPION Christian Lyon (PR 20.89, Converted to 20.96, 4th best NJCAA), 3rd Dartez Hamlin (PR 21.17/21.24, 10th best NJCAA), 9th Travis Hugg (PR 21.80 *1st time in event)
400m - 4th Darrien Wells 47.39 (PR 1st time outdoor, 12th NJCAA), 6th Adriano Gumbs 47.54 (PR 1st time outdoor, 17th NJCAA), 11th Kemarni Mighty 48.52, 12th Kyle Mason, Jr. 49.00 (PR)
800m - 3rd Nathan Hood (PR 1:52.02 - Converted to 1:51.35, 3rd best NJCAA), 10th Tallan James (2:09.30, is ranked 13th NJCAA)
1500m - 5th Tallan James in 4:03.46 *Converted to 3:57.89 to qualify for nationals in 11th best NJCAA time
4x400m Relay - 2nd Place 3:14.40 (Kemarni Mighty, Charlie Forbes, Darrien Wells, Dartez Hamlin) - Team ranked 4th in NJCAA; 3rd Place 3:17.58 (Brandon Felix, Adriano Gumbs, Kyle Mason, Jr., Stephon Torrence)