The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced their outdoor regional awards with three given to the Barton Community College track and field team. Voted and selected by member coaches within the USTFCCCA, Barton received four of the eight awards given within the Central Region.
Headlining the selections were Yoveinny Mota earning the women's track athlete of the year with Alencar Pereira named the field athlete of the year on the men's side.
The Cougars also swept the women's coaching awards with David Schenek earning the head coach honor and Mark'Quis Frazier selected for the assistant coach of the year award.
Women's Track Athlete of the Year (Central Region)
A two-time recipient of the USTCCCCA National Athlete of the Week, Mota clocked a Region VI meet record 13.31 to break a twenty-one year region record of 13.49 set by fellow Cougar Daveetta Shepherd at the 1998 event. The freshman's time also hit the 6th fastest all-conditions slot in NJCAA history and is second fastest in on the program's best efforts.
Men's Field Athlete of the Year (Central Region)
Rewriting not only the Barton record book throughout his freshman campaign, Pereira has been etching his name on the national level with a leading hammer throw of 68.31m (224-2) while posting 11 of the other 12 farthest throws in NJCAA history.
Women's Head Coach of the Year (Central Region)
In his 10th season at the helm, Schenek led the Cougars to their fourth straight Region VI title winning six of the twenty-two events. Ranking No. 1 in the country, Barton takes thirty-two national qualifiers to the national championships including Region VI Field Athlete of the Meet and heptathlon champion Arianna Hayde and Track Athlete of the Meet Christal Mosley following a 200m and 400m double title achievement.
Women's Assistant Coach of the Year (Central Region)
In his second year as the Cougars' assistant coach, Frazier's stable of athletes include six in the top-15 of the 100, five in the top-20 in the 200, three in the top-6 of the 400 and two in the top-12 of the 110H which includes the national leader in the hurdles event. Frazier's relay teams have also been impressive with the both the 4×100 and 4×400 squads leading the nation. Frazier's athletes combined to score 89 of Barton's 183 points at the Region VI Championship leading to Barton's fourth straight title and 32nd in the program's history.
The Cougars will wrap up the 2019 season May 16-18 in Hobbs, New Mexico, for the NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.