4th ranked Barton women win seven events in capturing second straight and program's 33rd Region VI Outdoor title #GoBarton

The 4th ranked Barton Community College women's track and field team got off to a great start to the 2024 Region VI Championships winning the first of seven events to capture both the KJCCC and Region title Saturday at Pratt's Track Complex.

Overall Barton had 25 scoring performances across the three-day event powered by 17 personal and/or season bests while adding four new national qualifying performances.

Of the scoring, Barton's small but mighty squad racked up 21 of their results within the top four placings finishing with 168 total points for an eight point gap ahead of 5th ranked Cloud County and 79.5 points more than third place Hutchinson.

Producing the program's second straight and 33rd Region outdoor title, conference scoring also put the Cougars on top for their first KJCCC West Division crown since 2019 and 32nd overall.

The momentum now shifts to the season's final event held May 16-18 in West Monroe, Louisiana, as the Cougars look to add to its indoor national title at the NJCAA's Outdoor Championships.

Ana Couto provided the initial spark winning the heptathlon by over 1200 points than the nearest competitor. Posting the program's seventh most accumulated points last year as a freshman, Couto's continued comeback from an earlier minor injury produced 4982 accumulated points for what would be the 9th most in program history. The sophomore won four of the seven events while finishing second in the others behind a trio of personal or season best efforts including a national qualifying performance in the 100m hurdles.

As Couto wrapped up her title on day two, the Cougars later in the day began their 54 point assault in the field events by winning all three amongst seven scoring performances in the top four.

The Championship's Women's Field Athlete of the Meet Jazmine Williamson piled up 26 points across three events, winning Friday's long jump on a personal best 6.50m (21-04.50) for a program 2nd best ever mark. On Saturday the sophomore finished runner-up in her other two events, posting another personal best in the triple jump (11.96m, 39-03.00) before winding up in the high jump at 1.68m (5-06.00).

Joining Williamson as a post-event award winner, Treneese Hamilton earned sixteen of her Championship leading 29 points on Friday by winning the javelin with a personal best 45.18m (148-02) throw on the way to earning the High Point Female Athlete of the Meet. Hamilton followed with a third place in discus (41.07m, 134-09) then on Saturday won the shot put (14.41m, 47-03.50) before concluding with an eighth place in the hammer throw (42.65m, 139-11).

Joining Williamson and Hamilton with post-event honors was Emmanuel Dixon in not only being named the women's but additionally the men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

Two of Barton's region title winners came on the track with both occurring in the hurdles. Kialia Claiborne circled the oval in the 400m hurdles clocking a winning 1:03.64 time, Kay-Lagay Clarke set a personal best in the 100m hurdles at 13.84, with Widlife Vermilus giving the Cougars an additional three points on a 15.20 sixth place clocking after recording a personal best 15.13 time a day before in the prelims.

Barton's Region VI Outdoor Championship Results (Complete Results): (PR/PB = Personal record/best; NQ = Nationally Qualified; ANQ = Already Nationally Qualified)
Heptathlon: CHAMPION Ana Couto (SB 4982 points *Already has 7th Program Best)
- 1st in 100m Hurdles (SB NQ 14.49)
- 2nd in High Jump (1.51m, 4-11.50)
- 1st in Shot Put (11.99m, 39-04.00)
- 2nd in 200m (PB 25.25)
- 1st in 800m (2:26.22)
- 1st in Javelin (SB 32.65m, 107-01)
- 2nd in Long Jump (5.32m, 17-05.50)
100m: Runner-Up Keliza Smith (11.45 *11.26 in Prelims **Program 5th Best ***ANQ), 7th Ashley Shaw (11.80 *PB 11.58 in Prelims **ANQ), 12th Maria Umoibang (11.88 *ANQ)
100m Hurdles: CHAMPION Kay-Lagay Clarke (PB 13.84 *ANQ), 6th Widlife Vermilus (15.20 *PB 15.13 in Prelims)
200m: 3rd Keliza Smith (PB 23.46 *ANQ), 4th Ashley Shaw (PB NQ 23.76)
400m Hurdles: CHAMPION Kialia Claiborne (1:03.64 *ANQ)
800m: 3rd Shone Walters (PB 2:15.06 *ANQ)
1500m: DNF Sanae Hassnaoui
Discus Throw: CHAMPION Ivanilda Semedo (PB 57.63m, 189-01 *ANQ **Just missed program record by 6" held by teammate Cedricka Williams), 3rd Treneese Hamilton (41.07m, 134-09 *ANQ **Missed PB by 20")
Hammer Throw: 5th Ivanilda Semedo (44.72m, 146-08 *ANQ), 8th Treneese Hamilton (42.65m, 139-11 *ANQ), 13th Kyndall Blessing (39.43m, 129-04 *ANQ)
High Jump: Runner-Up Jazmine Williamson (1.68m, 5-06.00 *ANQ)
Javelin: CHAMPION Treneese Hamilton (PB 45.18m, 148-02 *ANQ **Moves from 9th to 6th Program Best), 4th Kyndall Blessing (38.57m, 126-06 *Missed PB by 12" *ANQ)
Long Jump: CHAMPION Jazmine Williamson (PB 6.50m, 21-04.00 *ANQ **2nd Program Best), Runner-Up Chloe Perryman (PB NQ 6.07m, 19-11.00), 4th Kay-Lagay Clarke (T-PB 5.83m, 19-01.50 *ANQ)
Shot Put: 1st Treneese Hamilton (14.41m, 47-03.50 *ANQ), 4th Ivanilda Semedo (13.13m, 43-01.00 *ANQ)
Triple Jump: Runner-Up Jazmine Williamson (PB 11.96m, 39-03.00 *ANQ), 4th Kay-Lagay Clarke (SB 11.65m 38-02.75)
4x100m Relay: 3rd 47.00 *ANQ (Chloe Perryman, Ashley Shaw, Maria Umoibang, Keliza Smith)
4x400m Relay: 3rd NQ 3:48.16 (Shone Walters, Keliza Smith, Kailia Claiborne, Ana Couto)