Nationally ranked Barton track and field teams pile up over thirty personal bests including a school record during split squad weekend #GoBarton
Nationally ranked Barton track and field teams pile up over thirty personal bests including a school record during split squad weekend.
The nationally ranked Barton Community College track and field teams 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 squad won eight events in piling up nearly 50 Top-8 placings between the two meets over the weekend including 32 personal bests.
The 2nd ranked Cougar accumulated nineteen personal best performances in New Mexico and a school record in Texas, coming away from the weekend with 29 of the Top-8 placings including four champions.
The 5th ranked Lady Cougar squad nearly had a school record amongst its four golds and 20 Top-8 placings with thirteen personal best performances.
Highlighting the weekend was the throwing performances in Texas, beginning with a school record being broken on Saturday. Steadily climbing up the school's top hammer throw marks throughout his freshman and now sophomore season, Enrique Martinez reset the 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.
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).
On the women's side in Texas, coming off being named the KJCCC Athlete of the Week in marking the then-fifth best shot put mark in school history in her outdoor debut, Latavia Maines won the Classic hitting 15.72m (51-07.00). The NJCAA's second best throw this season, Maines' mark ranks second best in program history trailing the 15.99m (52-05.50) record of Cassandra Lee in the 2003 season.
In New Mexico, the Cougars claimed three golds on the track led by short track sprinter Keosha Sanders' new personal record of 11.62 in the 100m for the nation's second best time of the year. Earlier on Saturday Sanders was joined by Deborah Giffard, Nijah Roberson, and Zuri Straker for the 4x100m relay as the tandem beat the field with the NJCAA's third best time this season with a 46.28 clocking.
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. 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).
Barton's fourth champion in the throws came from Shyledeen Smith who captured the discus with a personal best and 8th best national mark of 43.33m (142-02) while Alexis James placed third at 36.75m (120-07).
Next for the Cougars is a meet much closer to home as Barton travels to Wichita on Friday for the two day KT Woodman Classic at Cessna Stadium.