The Barton Community College men’s outdoor track and field team was placed on probation recently because of a National Junior College Athletic Association violation.
Barton found the infraction during an internal review and reported the violation to the NJCAA. The probation, which declares the Cougars ineligible for the 2014 NJCAA or Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference/Region VI Outdoor Track and Field Championships, was the NJCAA’s ruling.
“Anytime something like this happens, it’s not a good thing,” Barton athletic director Trevor Rolfs said. “Things have hurt this athletic department in the past, you just get past it.
“It was a very unfortunate situation, but we knew what the result would be. When we find any possibility of a violation on any front, we just aim to do the right thing.”
According to NJCAA assistant executive director Mark Krug, a postseason ban generally happens when an ineligible athlete participates in a postseason competition.
The Barton athletic program has had some issues in the past, including serious violations in 2005 that led to federal convictions for seven former coaches and the former athletic director.
Rolfs said he didn’t think that the program’s past had any influence on the NJCAA’s ruling.
“That’s the standard procedure written out in the handbook,” Rolfs said of the ruling. “If any other college that committed the same infraction, the result would’ve been the same.
“No, if the past had anything to do with it, we could’ve seen other sanctions on top of it. There could’ve been additions to the standard ruling.”
A ban like this can have serious implications to a school’s recruiting, but Rolfs said he doesn’t think that will be the case for the Cougars.
“I don’t think it will,” Rolfs said. “I really don’t think that it will affect recruiting at all.”
In late April, the contract of Cougars head track and field/cross country coach Dave Schenek was not renewed during a Barton Board of Trustees meeting. Rolfs said in a written statement that the infraction had nothing to do with that.
“I can tell you that head track and field coach Dave Schenek was not responsible in any way, shape or form for the violation and subsequently, this ruling has nothing to do with his contract situation,” Rolfs said. “Additionally, this is a personnel matter, and I am not at liberty to speak to situations as such.”
Although Schenek does not have a new contract, he is still in charge of Barton’s track and field and cross country programs, according to Rolfs.