5th ranked Cougars finish runner-up at region track and field championships; Hamer named Field Athlete of Meet #GoBarton

Chasing the title late into Sunday's conclusion, the 5th ranked Barton Community College men's track and field team came up short in placing runner-up at the KJCCC/Region VI Indoor Championships.

The Cougars were outpointed in the final three events to compile 119 points over two days at Pittsburg State University's Robert W. Plaster Center, eight shy of Cloud County's winning 127 total and five points ahead of 3rd placer Fort Scott.

Trevon Hamer's Field Athlete of the Meet performance led the Cougars' twenty-one point producing placings as the squad posted eight either personal or season bests, added three new national qualifying slots, and recorded a program 7th best relay time in its first attempt.

Hamer's long jump personal best of 7.36m (24-1.75) held Saturday's top spot for two rounds but an opponent's final attempt snatched the title away. Returning for Sunday's triple jump, the national leader left no doubt who the best was by posting the chasing mark in the first round of attempts to eventually increase the final margin by two feet on his final jump for a winning 15.43m (50-7.50) distance.

Like Hamer, fellow freshman Hamza Belkhalfi nearly had a pair of titles, winning Sunday's mile run in 4:16.25 but three hours later had victory snatched in the final ten meters as an early celebration proved costly. Being chased down by a pair of Cloud County runners, Belkhalfi appeared to have the race run won but the split flanking by the T-birds provided just enough distraction as the nation's second ranked runner's 2:29.53 crossing was .12 too late in settling for 2nd place.

Christopher Crawford provided Barton its first of three titles, winning Saturday's weight throw with a 17.64m (57-10.00) mark. Christopher Young placed 4th at 16.87m (55-4.00) with Boris Peranovic placing 14th at 13.72m (45-0.00).

Young, who set the program shot put record three weeks ago in New Mexico, didn't have his best on Sunday in settling for the runner-up placing at 17.92m (58-9.50) with Crawford's season best of 17.54m (57-6.50) placing third as Ricardo Hayles finished 5th at 16.37m (53-8.50) concluding the Cougars' 33 points in the two throwing events.

Competing in the 4000m distance medley relay (DMR) for the first time, the Cougars' tandem of Corlando Chambers, Jaden Howell, Adrian Nethersole, and Belkhalfi placed runner-up with a program 7th best ever 10:07.69 national qualifying time.

Additional new national qualifying performances were: Wanyae Belle's 60m personal best 6.81 seconds in prelims, finishing 7th in the finals at 6.87 behind Mekhi Stafford's 5th place 6.80 time after a slim personal faster time of 6.79 in prelims; Jasiah Clapp's 800m best of 1:56.66 to place 10th overall and behind Nethersole 3rd placing 1:54.17 time.

The Cougars conclude the indoor season in a couple of weeks competing at the 2024 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships held March 1-2 at the Alachua County Sports & Event Center in Gainesville, Florida.

Barton's Region VI Indoor Championship Results (Complete Results) (PR/PB = Personal record/best; NQ = Nationally Qualified; ANQ = Already Nationally Qualified)
60m: 5th Mekhi Stafford (6.80 *PB 6.79 in prelims **ANQ), 7th Wanyae Belle (6.87 *PB NQ 6.81 in prelims)
60m Hurdles: 5th Jeramiah Martin (8.22 *8.11 in prelims **ANQ)
200m: 5th Wanyae Belle (21.69 *PB 21.55 in prelims **ANQ)
400m: 5th Revon Williams (PB 47.93 *ANQ), DQ Jaden Howell (48.01 *Would have been PB **ANQ)
600m: 5th Corlando Chambers (1:20.63 *ANQ)
800m: 3rd Adrian Nethersole (1:54.17 *ANQ), 10th Jasiah Clapp (PB NQ 1:56.56)
1000m: Runner-Up Hamza Belkhalfi (2:29.53 *ANQ), 6th Corlando Chambers (2:33.32 *ANQ)
Mile Run: CHAMPION Hamza Belkhalfi (4:16.25 *ANQ)
Long Jump: Runner-Up Trevon Hamer (PB 7.36m, 24-1.75 *ANQ), 8th Kalil Murphy (PB 6.77m, 22-2.50)
Triple Jump: CHAMPION Trevon Hamer (15.43m, 50-7.50 *ANQ), 5th Kalil Murphy (14.27m 46-9.75 *ANQ)
Shot Put: Runner-Up Christopher Young (17.92m, 58-9.50 *ANQ), 3rd Christopher Crawford (SB 17.54m, 57-6.50 *ANQ), 5th Ricardo Hayles (16.37m, 53-8.50 *ANQ)
Weight Throw: CHAMPION Christopher Crawford (17.64m, 57-10.00 *ANQ), 4th Christopher Young (16.87m, 55-4.00 *ANQ), 14th Boris Peranovic (13.72m, 45-0.00)
4000m Distance Medley Relay: Runner-Up 10:07.69 *NQ **1st time in event ***7th Program best (Corlando Chambers Jaden Howell Adrian Nethersole Hamza Belkhalfi)
4x400m Relay: 3rd 3:15.14 *ANQ (Revon Williams Marshae McDonald Adrian Nethersole Jaden Howell)