Barton women's track and field takes second at Easton Classic with eight national qualifying performances to begin 2017 season
The Barton Community College women's track and field team took second place on Friday opening up their 2017 season at the Bill Easton Classic hosted by the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The Lady Cougars had eight NJCAA national qualifying performances at the Anschutz Pavilion looking strong in the short track events against mostly four-year university competition.
The Barton Community College women's track and field team took second place on Friday opening up their 2017 season at the Bill Easton Classic hosted by the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The Lady Cougars had eight NJCAA national qualifying performances at the Anschutz Pavilion looking strong in the short track events against mostly four-year university competition.
The 60m stretch of the track was especially good for the Lady Cougars taking the third and fourth spot in the hurdles with a second and fifth placing in the sprint. Defending pentathlon champion and national record holder Ayesha Champagnie was back on the track clocking an 8.68 in the hurdles, just .1 seconds off her personal best to open the season taking third place. Making her Lady Cougar debut with an 8.73 national qualifying time in the preliminary round, Mahendra McWhite was just .02 slower in the finals finishing behind Champagnie in 8.75. Asjah Wallace, who didn't make the finals, did record a national qualifying time as the freshman placed tenth in the event with an 8.99.
Sophomore Sabrina Mason shattered her personal best twice in the 60m dash clocking a 7.63 in both the preliminaries and finals to finish in second place behind KU's Tianna Valentine's 7.52. Also clocking a national qualifying time, freshman Keosha Sanders matched Mason's 7.63 in the prelims before placing fifth in the finals with a 7.67.
Hampered with mid-season injuries in the cross country season, freshman Mirena Goncalves was back to full status making her indoor season debut with a 3000m national qualifying time of 10:28.33 behind a pair of KU competitors.
The Lady Cougars also received strong performances in the 200m led by sophomore Chenelle Ricketts. Running the event for the first time indoors, Ricketts clocked a fourth best time of 25.24 just ahead of fellow national qualifier Rian Robinson's 25.29.
Barton's next action comes Friday as the Lady Cougars travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the two day Holiday Inn Invitational hosted by the University of Nebraska.