The 4th ranked Barton Community College women's track and field team won eight events this past weekend in Garden City to finish runner-up at the KJCCC/Region VI Outdoor Championships.
The Cougars performed at a high level up and down the lineup with eighteen Top-3 placings among their twenty-five scoring performances, posted twenty-two personal or seasonal bests, added its 32nd national qualifying performances, and impacted the storied program record book with five performances.
Barton hauled home a pair of coveted individual women's awards from the meet, Nia Robinson earning the High Point Athlete of the Meet and Lashanna Graham the Track Athlete of the Meet. The Cougar men also earned two awards with Brandon Lloyd earning the Field Athlete of the Meet and Emmanuel Dixon named the Men's Assistant Coach of the Meet.
Next up is the season finale May 19-21 as the Cougars head to Hutchinson, Kansas, for the NJCAA Division I Championships.
Robinson won three events for thirty points in the course of two days on season or personal best efforts beginning Friday taking the long jump with a 6.40m (21-00.00) mark, just six inches from her program record of 6.56m set in last season's Region VI Championship. Saturday morning Robinson claimed the triple jump with the program 5th best mark of 12.87m (42-02.75). Not done headed to the early afternoon high jump, Robinson passed until what would be the second place 1.62m height. Clearing that and three other heights on her first try, Robinson rose to a program 3rd best 1.80m (5-10.75) on her second attempt to cap her victory. The now three-time record book entry attempted the six foot height a trio of times but came just shy full clearance each attempt.
Graham compiled 18 points in less than two minutes on the track, taking second in the 400m at 57.19 then seventy minutes later the 400m hurdle program record holder clocked her fourth fastest time ever of 59.18 to claim the title just ahead of Ashantae Harvey's 59.23 in etching her name on the fourth slot of the program all-time list. Deborah Lowe made it a 1-2-3 Barton finish with a personal best 1:01.99 as the trio are all qualified for the national meet.
Harvey was also part of a history 2-3 Barton finish in the 100m hurdles, clocking a personal best 13.48 program 8th best for third place as Danae Nembhard was runner-up .04 seconds faster at 13.44 to record the program's 6th best fastest time while sister Ashanti Harvey joined the two as a national qualifier with a 14.27 time in prelims before sitting out the finals after a previous busy two days of the multi events.
The Cougars got off to a seventeen point start to the meet in the heptathlon, led by Lowe's runner-up 4309 points behind four personal bests including taking first in the 200m (24.63) and the final 800 grueling run in 2:25.64. Ashanti Harvey took second in just her first ever multi-event completion, winning the 100m hurdles (14.81) along the way in racking up 3357 points. Malama Toure moved up in the standings on day one behind a personal best 9.40m shot put mark before winning Friday's first event on a personal best 5.20m long jump to eventually place 6th with 3120 points.
Completing the day in the 4x400m relay, Graham tacked on another ten points to her total anchoring the team of Naiya Morgan, Kayan Green and Jayda Dillon to a winning 3:46.49 time.
Green also won a championship two hours prior in the 800m clocking a season best 2:15.04 time. Dillon added twelve points to the Cougars' total behind a pair of personal best times in a 100m runner-up 11.53 and a fifth place 200m finish at 22.83 after a 22.74 time in prelims.
Two of Barton's individual champions came in the throwing events led by Kelsie Murrell-Ross bettering her program 4th best shot put mark with a winning 15.55m (51-00.25). Jada Sewell, led a 1-2-3 Barton placing in the hammer throw with a 49.27m (161-08) while fellow national qualifiers Ariana Rodriguez marked a runner-up 48.00m (157-06) as Efe Latham's third place throw landed at 46.60m (152-11). Sewell also placed sixth in the discus at 39.83m (130-08) with Efe Latham's personal best 40.22m (131-11) finished 3rd in the javelin.
Region VI Results KJCCC West Results
Barton Women Results:
Heptathlon:
2nd Deborah Lowe (4309 points): 2nd 100m Hurdles (15.26), 4th High Jump (PB 1.41m), 4th Shot Put (PB 9.24m), 1st 200m (PB 24.63), 2nd Long Jump (4.98m), 5th Javelin (19.22m *1st time), 1st 800m (PB 2:25.64)
3rd Ashanti Harvey (3357 points *1st time): 1st 100m Hurdles (14.81), 5th High Jump (1.38m *1st time), 9th Shot Put (7.25m *1st time), 4th 200m (PB 27.19), 4th Long Jump (4.80m), 9th Javelin (13.06m *1st time), 9th 800m (3:09.15 *1st time)
6th Malama Toure (3120 points): 8th 100m Hurdles (20.08 *1st time), 5th High Jump (1.38m), 2nd Shot Put (PB 9.40m), 6th 200m (27.62), 1st Long Jump (PB 5.20m), 8th Javelin (17.81m *1st time), 8th 800m (3:05.07)
100m: Runner-Up Jayda Dillon (PB 11.53 *Already NQ)
100m Hurdles: Runner-Up Danae Nembhard (PB 13.44 *6th Program Best), 3rd Ashantae Harvey (PB 13.48 *8th Program Best), DNF in Finals Ashanti Harvey (PB NQ 14.27 in Prelims) *All 3 now nationally qualified
200m: 5th Jayda Dillon (23.83 *PB 23.75 in Prelims **Already NQ)
400m: Runner-Up Lashanna Graham (57.19 *Already NQ), 10th Naiya Morgan (1:00.74)
400m Hurdles: CHAMPION Lashanna Graham (59.18), Runner-Up Ashantae Harvey (PB 59.23 *4th Program Best), 3rd Deborah Lowe (PB 1:01.99) *All three already nationally qualified
800m: CHAMPION Kayan Green (SB 2:15.04 *Already NQ)
1500m: 22nd Karina Herrera (6:17.52 *1st time)
4x400m Relay: CHAMPION 3:46.49 (Naiya Morgan, Kayan Green, Jayda Dillon, Lashanna Graham)
Javelin: 3rd Efe Latham (PB 40.22m, 131-11 *Already NQ), 12th Lillian Thomas (23.93m, 78.06)
Discus: 6th Jada Sewell (39.83m, 130-08 *Already NQ), 11th Kelsie Murrell-Ross (36.88m, 121-00 *Already NQ), 14th Lillian Thomas (33.94m, 111-04)
Long Jump: CHAMPION Nia Robinson (SB 6.40m, 21-00.00), 5th Brittania Ingram (PB 5.59m, 18-04.25), 14th Ida Seesay (4.98m, 16-04.25) *All three already qualified
Triple Jump: CHAMPION Nia Robinson (PB 12.87m, 42-02.75 *5th Program Best), 7th Ida Seesay (10.43m, 34-02.75)
High Jump: CHAMPION Nia Robinson (PB 1.80m, 5-10.75 *3rd Program Best), 7th Jasmine Carson (PB 1.52m, 4-11.75), 9th Molly Norris (1.42m, 4-07.75)
Shot Put: CHAMPION Kelsie Murrell-Ross (15.55m, 51-00.25 *Bettered her 4th Program Best), 7th Jada Sewell (SB 12.14m, 39-10.00), 9th Efe Latham (11.93m, 39-01.75)
Hammer Throw: CHAMPION Jada Sewell (49.27m, 161-08), 2nd Ariana Rodriguez (48.00m, 157-06), 3rd Efe Latham (46.60m, 152-11)