Coming off a very good cross country season it was no surprise the distance runners paced the Barton Community College women’s team to open the 2015 Indoor track season.
Barton finished 1-3-4 in the 3000m for its best effort on the day at the Air Force Collegiate Open in Colorado Springs Friday.
Leading the way was the defending 3000m champion at the NJCAA Indoor Championships last season sophomore Lydia Mato.
Mato was one of about a handful of Cougars who put up a qualifying mark for the Indoor Championships in the season opener.
“I am very excited about the start of the season,” Coach Dave Schenek said. “We had some kids qualify already. Hopefully was will continue to build on those performances this upcoming weekend.”
Mato cruised home in 10:49.31 to win the race by more than 18 seconds. She helped the Cougars to a fourth place effort at the NJCAA Indoor Championships last season.
Holly Pierce was third for Barton in 13:36.92 and Great Bend freshman Katelynn Tuey fourth in 13:55.58. Yazmin Rendon took eighth in the mile run for Barton in 7:06.48.
Vanessa Style, a freshman from Florida, had a good inaugural meet for the Cougars indoor, taking third in the 60m hurdles in 8.76 and ninth in the 60m in 7.88. Widline Lageroy was fifth for Barton in the 400m with a time of 58.89 to round out the top 10 efforts on the track.
In the field Tasha Frazier and Trenna Cox both placed in the Top 10 in the long jump. Frazier medaled in the event with a third place effort. Frazier jumped 17-11.75 for that bronze effort while Cox took ninth with a leap of 13-6.
The Cougars will travel to Lincoln, Neb. next weekend to take part in the Holiday Inn Invitational on the campus of the University of Nebraska.