Special to the Tribune

LEVELLAND, Texas – Down to the last event.

That is where the NJCAA men's track and field Championships ended up.

In the middle of that mix were the Barton Cougars.

Barton and Region VI compadre Cloud County along with host school South Plains were battling throughout the meet for the NJCAA Championship.

Heading into the final race of the day, Cloud was leading the event with 96 points. Barton was next with 93 and South Plains third with 91.

However, Cloud did not have a team in the 4x400m relay. That meant if Barton won the relay, the Cougars would be champions. If South Plains won, the Plainsmen would clinch at least a share of the title.

The latter is what took place.

South Plains won the 4x400 in 3:06.71, edging out Barton with its 3:07.19. Butler was a distant third.

Final results, Barton 101, South Plains 101, Cloud 96. Iowa Central was a distant fourth with 78.

It was the ninth men's outdoor track title for the Cougars and the 58th total for the school.

Shakwon Coke was a double national title winner for the Cougars. Coke won the long jump with a leap of 24-10.5 and the triple jump at 50-10.75.

The triple jump title came about the same the Cougars were going 1-2 in the 200m late in the meet.

Denzell Feagin won in 20.53 with Caleb Boger on his heels in 20.58.

Those two events took Barton from third at 65 points to first, momentarily, with 93 points. By the time the discus results came in, Cloud had moved to 96 for the lead.

South Plains, with a lead of 20 points on Barton at the time, scored just six during that stretch of events to move from 85 to 91.

That set up the dramatic 4x400m relay to close things out.

Earlier in the day, Feagin took second in the 100m with a 10.11 and Boger fourth at 10.31. Those two were part of Barton's 4x100m relay team that finished second as well in 39.51. Almighty Williamson and Jevon O'Bryant rounded out the team.

In the throws, Fred Moudani and Fabio Hessling took runner-up spots. Moudani was second in the shot with a heave of 56-10. Giovanni Gutierrez was fourth at 53-11.25. Hessling took second in the hammer throw at 215-8.

Tyrese Reid took second in the 800m in 1:50.68 and Ja'Kwan Hale third in the 400m hurdles in 53.17. Williamson was seventh in the 110m hurdles.

South Plains' title was the school's 12th men's outdoor title. The Plainsmen were part of the only other tie back in 2007 with Central Arizona.

NJCAA Championships

Team scores

1 Barton 101, South Plains 101, Cloud 96, Iowa Central 78, Coffeyville 48, New Mexico JC 39, Iowa Western 39, NW Tech 36, Paradise Valley 36, Indian Hills 32.

11 Vincennes 22.8, Highland 20, Hutch 17, Pima 16, Butler 16, Mesa 15.8, Monroe 15, Hinds 14, Dodge 14, Fort Scott 14.

21 Hawkeye 13, Bryant 10, Ranger 8, Pratt 8, Cowley 7, Meridian 7, Central Arizona 5, Garden 5, North Iowa 5, Trinidad St 4, Bossier Parish 3, Western Texas 3, Hagerstown 2, Southern Idaho 1.

Barton results

100 – 2 Denzell Feagin 10.11; 4 Caleb Boger 10.31.

200 – 1 Denzell Feagin 20.53; 2 Caleb Boger 20.58.

800 – 2 Tyrese Reid 1:50.68.

110H – 7 Almighty Williams 15.83.

400H – 3 Ja'Kwan Hale 53.17.

4x100 – 2 Barton (Williamson, Feagin, O'Bryant, Boger), 39.51

4x400 – 2 Barton (Hale, O'Bryant, Bradford, Felix), 3:09.19

Long jump – 1 Shakwon Coke 24-10.5; 6 Glenith Calvin 23-5.5

Triple jump – 1 Shakwon Coke 50-10.75

Shot put – 2 Fred Moudani 56-10, 4 Giovanni Gutierrez 53-11.25

Hammer – 2 Fabio Hessling 215-8.