4th ranked Cougars come up short in battle for national hardware, place 5th overall #GoBarton

The Barton Community College men's track and field team claimed an individual title and made another program impact this past weekend competing at the NJCAA Indoor National Championships held at Washburn University's Indoor Facility in Topeka, Kansas.

The 4th ranked Cougars moved up a spot on the final day dogfight for third place hardware, compiling 48.5 total points for 5th place overall. Barton was left 12.5 points from 3rd place Iowa Western and 9.5 points from 3rd place Iowa Central and eight points ahead of Cloud County. South Plains and New Mexico shared the crown with 107 points.

Overall the Cougars had ten scoring performances and chalked up nine personal best efforts in the two days.

Barton's lone individual title came in Friday's shot put as Christopher Young marked a 17.95m to dethrone Coffeyville's Region VI Champion Trevor Gunzell by less than an inch for the national crown. Brandon Lloyd finished third behind the duo for the second straight meet in marking a 17.39m throw as Christopher Crawford came up short of the points with a 9th place 15.61m.

Lloyd got the better of his teammates in Saturday's weight throw, unleashing a personal best 18.47m (60-07.25) to tie for the program's 4th best all-time effort, Crawford placed 8th at 15.89m (52-01.75), with Young finishing 13th overall at 14.80m (48-06.75).

On the track the highest individual placing was Elijah Mosley's 3rd place by clocking a 400m personal best 46.97.

Fabian Campbell timed a pair of personal bests, following his Region VI title with a 4th place 600m national time of 1:18.87 and a 1000m clock stoppage of 2:31.81 in finishing 14th.

The sprint duo of Almond Small and Aaron Charles also reset personal bests, Small clocking a 21.36 preliminary round time before a 21.60 in placing 8th while Charles' best of 21.44 finished 13th. In the 60m, Almond Small placed 14th in 6.81 with Charles' new fastest time of 6.83 was good for 16th.

The duo were joined by Mosley and Jaden Howell for the weekend's final 4x400 relay in clocking a season best 3:11.12 for a 4th place overall as the top five tandems broke the WU facility record.

Barton's other placing came in the 60m hurdles as Jeramiah Martin took 5th with an 8.03 time.

The Cougars begin preparation for the outdoor season scheduled to begin March 17 at the two-day Texas Christian University Alumni Invite in Fort Worth, Texas, and Saturday's March 18 one-day Emporia State University's Spring Invitational.

Barton's NJCAA Indoor Championship Results (Complete Results) (PR/PB = Personal record/best)
60m: 14th Almond Small (6.81), 16th Aaron Charles (PB 6.83)
60m Hurdles: 5th Jeramiah Martin (8.03 *8.05 in prelims), 11th Devoy Pinnock (8.16), 17th Daqwon Wilson (8.41)
200m: 8th Almond Small (21.60 *PB 21.36 in prelims), 13th Aaron Charles (PB 21.44)
400m: 3rd Elijah Mosley (PB 46.97 *47.16 in prelims)
600m: 4th Fabian Campbell (PB 1:18.87 *1:19.03 in prelims)
1000m: 14th Fabian Campbell (PB 2:31.81)
3000m: 16th Theo Leveque (8:47.07)
4x400m Relay: 6th 4th SB FR 3:11.12 (Jaden Howell, Elijah Mosley, Fabian Campbell, Almond Small)
High Jump: 6th Jalen McGee (1.99m 6-06.25)
Long Jump: 15th Jalen McGee (6.99m, 22-11.25)
Weight Throw: 2nd Brandon Lloyd (PB 18.47m, 60-07.25 *T-4th program best), 8th Christopher Crawford (15.89m, 52-01.75), 13th Christopher Young (14.80m, 48-06.75)
Shot Put: CHAMPION Christopher Young (PB 17.95m, 58-10.75), 3rd Brandon Lloyd (17.39m, 57-00.75), 9th Christopher Crawford (15.61m, 51-02.25)