Barton's Pereira wins second national outdoor track weekly honor #GoBarton #RoarCougs

For the second time of the outdoor season, Alencar Pereira of the Barton Community College men's track and field team has been named the NJCAA Division I National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Having shattered the program hammer throw record in the first meet of the season two weeks ago in Texas, Pereira came just an inch from breaking his mark again with a 65.69m (215-6) throw last Thursday in winning the Alex Francis Classic hosted by Fort Hays State University.

Braving the cold and windy conditions at the FHSU Track and Field Complex, the freshman exceeded the 60m mark on all five of his six registered throws including the would be winning mark of 61.82m on the board in his first attempt.

Warmed up for the finals, Pereira dented the ground with the 65.69m throw for the NJCAA's third best throw ever on his first of three finals attempts to again fall shy of his al-time best by a few centimeters. With his final two attempts reaching 63.16m and 63.22m, Pereira now owns the No. 2, No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7 best marks all-time in the NJCAA ranks.

Pereira's second national honor is the fourth outdoor award for the Barton Track and Field program, joining Ricky Nelson's 2017 distinction and Lydia Mato's 2015 achievement as the lone female garnering outdoor accolades.

Next up for Pereira and the rest of his male and female teammates will be the West Texas A&M Classic and Multi held Friday and Saturday in Canyon, Texas.