EMPORIA— Mid-week events are not all that common in track and field. But the Barton Community College men’s track team made their way to Emporia State University Wednesday to participate in the Emporia Midweek Open.

Most of the top athletes didn’t make the trip but of those who did, the Barton men won a pair of events. The meet is also a chance for some athletes to earn a qualifying mark for the upcoming national meet.

Romario Antoine was the only athlete to post a qualifying mark – doing so in winning the discus. But that was an event he already had earned a spot in the NJCAA meet to be held at Hutchinson in the middle of May.

In fact his winning toss of 159-1 was a personal best that ranked 9th this season in the NJCAA. It did better his previous mark by more than two feet.

Barton’s other winning effort came on the track as Marquee Montgomery won the 200m with a time of 21.99. Shadrick Adu-Gyamfi was fourth with a

Montgomery placed finished fourth with an 11.03 but already had a 10.6 under belt earlier in the year – better than the 10.64 need to qualify.

Anthony Forrest just missed earning a qualifying mark in the 800m finishing third with a 1:56.96. He needed a 1:55.39 to qualify. That was the case for Devyn Brotherton in the 1500m as well. Running the event for the first time this year he finished seventh in 4:04.75 – short of the 4:02.66 needed. They will have another shot to earn that spot at the Region VI meet next weekend.

Brady Holler took fourth for the Cougars in the 3000m steeplechase with personal best of 10:47.26 and Tyler Jordan was 13th in the hammer throw with a throw of 119-7.75.

Barton will now get ready for the Region VI meet in El Dorado April 30-May 2. The Region meet will be loaded once again with six of the top 13 teams in the nation. In all 10 of the Top 25 reside in Region VI.

Barton is the highest ranked team at No. 4 with Coffeyville just two spots back at No. 6. Cloud County, Colby, Butler, and Cowley are bunched up at 10-13. Also in the Top 25 are Allen County (17), Hutchinson (19), Garden City (23) and Johnson County (24).