Barton Track and Field open outdoor season with twelve national qualifying and eleven top ten performances at Alabama Relays

The Barton Community College men's track and field team opened up their outdoor season this past weekend taking part in the John Mitchell Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Held at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium on the campus of the University of Alabama, the Cougars posted eleven top ten placings including twelve national qualifying performances competing amongst thirty-three major universities including three other community colleges.  

With so many outstanding performances throughout the weekend, the Barton relay teams recorded times not seen by the Cougars in recent times.  The team of Alexr Richemond, Anthony Adderly, Mike Simmons, and Deandre Henderson set the tone with their Friday performance beating the 4X200m Relay field capturing first place in 1:24.40.   The Cougars kept the team in tact for Saturday's 4X100m Relay finishing second with a national qualifying time of 40.56.  Perhaps the most impressive performance came by the 4X400m Relay as Richemond, Henderson, Quick Stukes, and Kennedy Mayweather broke the 3:10.00 barrier at 3:09.77 for the fastest 400m Relay time of a Cougar team in the past five years.

Sampson Laari, a national runner-up finisher in the indoor 1000m, eclipsed two national standards with a 1:51.56 finishing sixth in the 800m and a personal best 3:57.42 in the 1500m placing 23rd.    Anthony Forrest and Tyler Thornton joined Laari in the 800m with Forest placing 24th in 1:58.60 while Thornton came in 31st at 2:00.35.   Thornton also competed with Laari in the 1500m running a 4:22.42 to place 47th.

A key member of the relays, Simmons captured the second flight of the 100m Dash with a personal best 10.72 while fellow relay member Adderly came in 7th at 11.00.  

In the hurdles, Deron Gordon and Zodani Francois both had national qualifying times in the 400m Hurdles as Gordon finished second in 52.13 while Francois came in 11th at 55.02.   Although not hitting the qualifying mark, Francois added to his 400m Hurdles personal best with a personal best 14.88 110m Hurdle time finishing 11th.

Competing in the 3000m Steeplechase for the first time, freshman Devyn Brotherton had an impressive debut finishing fourth in 9:38.97 to exceed the national standard by eighteen seconds.  Brady Holler also made his debut in the event finishing 17th in 10:51.62.

Joining their track mates, the Barton throwers also had a good outdoor debut getting three qualified for nationals.  Alireza Rafiei led the way with an eleventh place finish in the Shot Put, setting a new personal best of 15.74m (51-07.75).  The Discus Throw duo of Antoine Romero and Donald Daley each exceeded their personal best with qualifying throws.  Romario placed 17th at 47.32m (155-03) while Daley finished closed behind in 18th at 47.11m (154-07).  Sophomore Colby Overturf also exceeded a personal best in the Javelin as the sophomore soared the spear a qualifying 53.86m (176-08) to finish 12th.

Barton also picked up two more top ten finishes in the 400m Dash Invitational as Stukes ran a person best national qualifying time of 48.32 to place sixth while Mayweather recorded a personal best 48.74 in finishing in eighth.  Micah Carey also competed in the 400m, taking seventh place in 48.92. 

Complete results can be found here.

The Cougars return to action on Friday as Barton will head to Hays, Kansas, to compete in the two-day Alex Francis Classic hosted by Fort Hays State University.