Barton's Mota joins elite company in earning outdoor national weekly honor #GoBarton #RoarCougs

Joining an elite company in the storied history of the Barton Community College women's track and field program, Yoveinny Mota has been named the NJCAA Division I National Female Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Competing against a host of NCAA Division I athletes at the Michael Johnson Invitational hosted by Baylor University in Waco, Texas, this past weekend, Mota not only solidified her top ranking in one event but teamed with her fellow baton handlers in recording the NJCAA's best relay time.

The nation's top ranked 100m hurdler didn't disappoint on Saturday as the freshman took on the field to place third overall improving her best time to 13.30 leaping into the program's third best time and the fourth best all-conditions clocking in NJCAA history.

Mota was joined by T'Nia Riley, Kaytie Black, and Deborah Giffard in the tightly contested 4x100m relay race in clocking a 45.19 in taking over the NJCAA's best tandem time of the season.

The outdoor honor for Mota is just the second time in the women's outdoor program history to garner the USTFCCC's national weekly award, joining the elite company of long distance standout Lydia Mato who won the award during the 2015 season.

The national award is also the fourth recognition of the outdoor season for the Barton program as fellow freshman standout Alencar Pereira simultaneously earned the latest of his third distinction giving the Cougars a sweep of the NJCAA awards.

Mota and the rest of her nation's top ranked women's team, along with the 5th ranked Cougar men's team will be using the next few weeks in preparation for post-season action beginning May 2-4 at the Region VI Outdoor Championships held in El Dorado, Kansas.