5th ranked Barton women's track and field wins 30th program Region VI Indoor title; Trio of Cougars make program impacts including Murrell-Ross' record breaking throw #GoBarton

The 5th ranked Barton Community College women's track and field team won seven events during the weekend trip to Pittsburg State University's Robert W. Plaster Center in capturing the program's 30th Region VI title Sunday afternoon.

The individual titles amongst Barton 25 scoring performances, 14 personal or season bests, and 5 new national qualifying performances in the two day meet, accumulated a winning 162 points for a nine point win over Cloud County Community College's 153 while Fort Scott Community College finished in a distant third place 111 point total.

With the team's success also came one of the Cougars' individual post-meet awards as Emmanuel Dixon was named the Women's Assistant Coach of the Meet winner.

Named the Female Track Athlete of the Meet after scoring sixteen points in two events, Kelsie Murrell-Ross also left her name atop the meet and program record book on Sunday in resetting the best shot put mark. Winning the event on her first toss of the afternoon, the sophomore bettered that mark two more times before making the most of her last throw in uncorking a record 16.30m (53-05.75) to rank 3rd all-time in NJCAA history and best Fiona Richards' 2020 program top mark (16.28m, 53-05.00) by less than an inch. Freshman Treneese Hamilton placed runner-up in also resetting her personal best, marking a 14.76m (48-05.00) on Sunday for the program's 8th best mark and moving up to the third slot on the current national rankings.

A mere .005 seconds separated placings in the photo finish 60m hurdle race, Cloud County's Miracle Thompson 8.281 getting the slimmest of leans over Danae Nembhard's 8.286 for the title as the duo each broke the previous 8.48 best time set by former Cougar and now University of Arkansas standout Yoveinny Mota at the 2019 Region VI Championships. Officially entered at an 8.29 clocking, Thompson and Nembhard dueled the NJCAA's 5th fastest time with Nembhard etching her name on the program's 2nd slot behind Mota's top time of 8.27.

The Cougars began their title quest on Saturday in the multis as Barton put 19 early points on the board behind a trio of Pentathlon athletes. Freshman Ana Couto won two of the events on the way to a meet record 3748 points to rank 5th best in program history and knock off former Cougars Lisa Wright (1996) and Olympian Hyleas Fountain (2002) meet record of 3735 points. Kayleigh Prentiss placed 3rd with 2988 points while Ahniesha Presulme took 7th in accumulating 2315 points.

On the track Naiya Morgan become a 2023 two-time indoor Region VI Champion, winning the 400m in 55.09 to post a new personal best then a short time later winning the 200m in 24.39 seconds.

Other Region VI Champions: Kay-Lagay Clarke national qualifying long jump mark (6.05m, 19-10.25), Jazmine Williamson in high jump (1.71m, 5-07.25), Brittania Ingram in triple jump (12.20m, 40-00.25).

New national qualifying performances were: Antiana Walsh's 6th place 60m personal best time of 7.72, Ingram's 4th place long jump mark of 5.65m (18-06.50), and Kayleigh Prentiss' 4th place high jump of 1.61m (5-03.50). In addition to the pentathlon and 60m hurdles, Couto also met national qualifying standards in the pentathlon shot put with a nation's current 9th furthest throw of 12.72m (41-08.75) mark.

The Cougars conclude the indoor season in a couple of weeks competing at the 2023 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships held March 3-4 at Washburn University's Athletic Facility in Topeka, Kansas.

Barton's Region VI Indoor Championship Results (Complete Results) (PR/PB = Personal record/best; NQ = Nationally Qualified; ANQ = Already Nationally Qualified)
60m: 2nd Danae Nembhard (7.59 *PB 7.52 in prelims **ANQ), 6th Antiana Walsh (7.82 *PB NQ 7.72 in prelims), 11th Kayleigh Prentiss (7.85)
60m Hurdles: 2nd Danae Nembhard (PB 8.286 *Meet 2nd best time **ANQ), 3rd Kay-Lagay Clarke (PB 8.72), 4th Ana Couto (9.01 *8.84 in prelims **ANQ)
200m: CHAMPION Naiya Morgan (24.39 *PB 24.22 in prelims **ANQ), 4th Antiana Walsh (PB 24.96)
400m: CHAMPION Naiya Morgan (PB 55.09 *ANQ)
3000m: 12th Karina Herrera (PB 11:42.69)
4x400m Relay: 4th 4:01.79 *ANQ (Naiya Morgan, Kay-Lagay Clarke, Danae Nembhard, Antiana Walsh)
Long Jump: CHAMPION Kay-Lagay Clarke (PB NQ 6.05m, 19-10.25), 3rd Jazmine Williamson (PB 5.73m, 18-09.50 *ANQ), 4th Brittania Ingram (PB NQ 5.65m, 18-06.50)
Weight Throw: 3rd Kelsie Murrell-Ross (15.60m, 51-02 *ANQ), 4th Efe Latham (15.09m, 49-06 *ANQ), 14th Treneese Hamilton (PB 13.00m, 42-08.00)
Shot Put: CHAMPION Kelsie Murrell-Ross (16.30m, 53-05.75 *Program Record **ANQ), 2nd Treneese Hamilton (PB 14.76m, 48-05.00 *8th program best **ANQ), 10th Efe Latham (10.77m, 35-04.00)
Triple Jump: CHAMPION Brittania Ingram (PB 12.20m, 40-00.25 *ANQ), 3rd Kay-Lagay Clarke (11.72m, 38-05.50 *ANQ), 6th Ahniesha Presulme (SB 10.96m, 35-11.50)
High Jump: CHAMPION Jazmine Williamson (PB 1.71m, 5-07.25 *ANQ), 4th Kayleigh Prentiss (PB NQ 1.61m, 5-03.50)
Pentathlon:
  CHAMPION Ana Couto (3748 points *Meet Record **5th program best)
    - 1st in 60m Hurdles (8.75, 963 points *ANQ)
    - 3rd in High Jump (1.55m, 678 points *1st time in event)
    - 1st in Shot Put (PB NQ 12.72m, 709 points)
    - 3rd in Long Jump (5.37m, 663 points)
    - 2nd in 800m (2:26.66, 735 points)
  3rd Kayleigh Prentiss (2988 points)
    - 5th in 60m Hurdles (9.26, 856 points)
    - 2nd in High Jump (1.58m, 712 points *1st time in event)
    - 4th in Shot Put (8.73m, 447 points *1st time in event)
    - 5th in Long Jump (4.94m, 543 points)
    - 7th in 800m (2:53.28, 430 points *1st time in event)
  7th Ahniesha Presulme (2315 points)
    - 7th in 60m Hurdles (SB 9.83 744 points)
    - 8th in High Jump (PB 1.37m 481 points)
    - 10th in Shot Put (SB 7.44m, 363 points)
    - 8th in Long Jump (PB 4.67m, 472 points)
    - 12th in 800m (PB 3:12.89, 255 points)