Barton's Pereira does it again, shatters own program hammer throw record; 2nd ranked Cougars claim eight golds in Texas #GoBarton #RoarCougs

Coming up just an inch last week from breaking his own school record, Alencar Pereira of the 2nd ranked Barton Community College men's track and field team has again re-etched his name at the top the program's hammer throw list by exceeding his best by nearly six feet in marking a 67.49m (221-05) throw to win the West Texas A&M Classic and Multi this weekend in Canyon, Texas.

The reigning NJCAA Division I National Athlete of the Week awarded by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), Pereira exceeded his record set earlier in the outdoor season three times out of his weather shortened five rounds of tosses.

Raising the mark to 66.93m on the second spin in the ring, Pereira unleased the new top mark on this third round. Fouling on the fourth attempt, the last toss of the day was the fifth round in leaving a 66.61m dent in the big swing of three tosses over 66m.

The Cougars also put another name in the program's record book as fellow freshman Phillipe Barnett exceeded his personal best by twenty-five feet for a meet runner-up and fifth best Barton all-time throw of 57.87m (189-10).

Joining Pereira at the top of this season's NJCAA performance chart, Kevin Nedrick won the shot put event while also moving up the program record book with an 18.11m (59-05.00) splash in the sand to rank second in Cougar history.

Nedrick also ranks tops in the nation in the discus throw, improving on his third place standing on the Cougars' all-time chart with a personal best spinning of the disc of 55.23m (181-02) to place second in the event. Right behind him in the standings and the WT Classic placing was Barnett who also had a personal best day in landing the program's fourth best throw of 54.20m (177-10).

On the track the Cougars were strong as usual, winning six events including both relay events.

Davonte Burnett's 10.46 led a 1-2-3 Barton placing in the 100m with Dartez Hamlin's 10.53 edging out Deondre Spruill by .01 for the second spot. Hamlin blew away the field by .25 seconds in the 200m with a 20.76 clocking with Tyreke Wilson coming up .05 second shy of the runner-up placing in timing a 21.06.

The Cougars won both hurdle events with nation leader Stephon Torrence taking the 110m variety in 14.08 and Kenroy Williams taking the 400m in 51.08 to technically rank second in the nation thus far as altitude conversion takes his time to 51.19.

The short track speedsters of Burnett, Wilson, Hamlin, and Spruill won the 4x100m relay by a half of a second with a 40.18 clocking with the 4x400m relay crew of Williams, Burnett, Nathan Hood, and Hamlin sit atop the national list with a 3:09.69 time after being converted from a 3:09.25 time.

Now with twenty-seven national qualifying performances, the Cougars will take the weekend off from competition before heading to Waco, Texas, for the Michael Johnson Invitational held April 19-20.