For most of the day it was a two-team race for the Region VI men’s Track and Field Championships Saturday at Broncbuster Stadium in Garden City.
But the closing events were not as kind to the Baton Cougars as they were to the Butler Grizzlies. Butler pulled away in the final four events to win the meet by 32 points. Butler, ranked No. 4 in the nation, scored 181 points while No. 3 Barton finished with 149. Coffeyville was third with 97.
Barton won five individual titles during the meet including a sweep of the hurdles races.
Jermaine Jones won the 110m hurdles in 14.39 with teammate Louis Rivers takings seventh in 14.96. Jones has run the fourth fastest time in the NJCAA this season.
In the 400m hurdles it was Kadeem Williams earning the gold with a time of 53.5 while Jones finished seventh in 56.86. Williams has ran a 52.11 for the fifth best time the NJCAA this season.
Also jumping obstacles on his way to a win was Devyn Brotherton in the 3000m steeplechase. Brotherton easily won the race with a time of 9:56.42. He has the second fastest steeplechase time this year in the NJCAA.
Barton’s other two gold medals came in the field as Adama Mbye won the triple jump and Ricky Nelson won the discus.
Mbye led a 1-2 Barton finish in the triple jump with a leap of 49-11.75, edging Leon Boyd who jumped 49-9.75. Earlier this year Boyd jumped the fourth longest distance in the NJCAA.
Nelson won the discus with a throw of 177-6 as three Cougars scored in the event. Romario Antoine was third at 153-10.5 and Stevon Crooks eighth at 142-8.75. Nelson currently has the second best throw in the NJCAA.
Donald Daley just missed gold in the hammer throw, taking second with a throw of 180-1.5. He also has the second best throw in the NJCAA this year.
Rounding out the throwing events, Antoine was third in the shot put at 53-0, Crooks fifth at 52-2, and Nelson seventh at 48-40.75.
Also in the field, Boyd took third in the long jump with a leap of 23-10.75. Chedlin Sageese also placed, taking seventh at 22-11.75.
On the track the sprints provided several points for Barton. McKinley West finished third and fourth in the 100m and 200m to pace the sprints for the Cougars.
West ran a 10.41 in the 100m while Anthony Adderly ran fourth in 10.54 and Sageese seventh in 10.59. West ran a 21.21 in the 200m with Adderly right behind in fifth in 21.37.
Paul Kinney took third in the 400m in 48.55 with Alex Richemond fourth at 48.66 and Jaquez Wilson sixth in 49.13.
The Cougars 4x100m relay team of Sageese, West, Adderly and Richemond ran second in 40.53. The 4x400m did not finish and the 4x800m team was disqualified.
Barton also got points out of Brotherton in the 5000m, taking fourth in 16:12.78. Tyler Thornton was seventh in the 1500m in 4:19.74 and Anthony Forrest eighth in the 800m in 1:59.25.
Next up for the Cougars will be the NJCAA Championships in Levelland Texas, May 17-19.