Most of the Barton men’s track team this past weekend took for southeast Kansas and Pittsburg State Invitational. A few, however, headed northeast to the Jayhawk Classic in Lawrence.
What was a constant, however, was the fact seven more Cougars surpassed a national qualifying mark. That gives Barton 26 so far three meets into the indoor season.
That is a big reason the Cougars are currently ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA Indoor rankings. The Cougars are behind only defending champion Iowa Central and Iowa Western.
Three of those marks were achieved in the Jayhawk Classic where Denroc Dixon won the triple jump event with a leap of 47-6.5 He becomes Barton’s third athlete to qualify in the event. Louis Rivers placed fifth in the 60m hurdles in a time of 8.46. He qualified with an 8.36 in the prelims.
Donald Daley, already qualified in both the shot put and weight throw, won the weight throw with a season best of 59-11.
Down in Pittsburg, Barton scattered six qualifiers. Anthony Adderly became the third Cougar to earn a spot in the 200m with a team-leading 21.39. Alex Richemond became Barton’s second 60m qualifier with a 6.85 for sixth place. McKinley West, who had a team-best 6.84 this year, took seventh in 6.87. Adderly came up just short in that event with a 6.89, needing a 6.87.
Kadeem Williams joined Rivers as a qualifier over the weekend in the 60m hurdles with his 8.52 finish. That gives Barton four hurdlers who have bested the 8.54 mark needed but only three can participate. Jermaine Jones ran a team-best 8.29.
Leon Boyd, already with a spot in the long jump, took third with his 23-3.25. Chedlin Sageese finished 8th with a 22-7.5 but is still 2.25 inches from earning his spot.
The Cougars had another runner qualify in the 600m while running the 600y. Williams, who already had a qualifying mark, ran a 1:11.35 to place third while Anthony Forrest qualified with a 600y time of 1:13.63. That time converts to under the 1:33.57 needed in the 600m.
Antoine Romario gave Barton three qualifiers in the shot put with a 50-1.75 heave in Pittsburg.
The Cougars had three runners just miss the needed time of 49.16 in the 400m. Williams ran a 49.19 with Micah Carey (49.97) and Paul Willis (49.98) close as well.