The No. 5 ranked Barton Community College women's track and field team captured five event titles over the weekend in producing a runner-up finish at the KJCCC/Region 6 Indoor Championships held inside Pittsburg State University's Robert W. Plaster Center.
The Cougars compiled 127 points across the two-day meet, finishing 18 points shy of Hutchinson Community College's 145 total while distancing third-place Cloud County's 90 points by 37.
Across the championship weekend, Barton produced 11 personal best performances, one season best, and four new national qualifying marks while adding a Region 6 Championship meet record, a program No. 2 all-time performance, and an NJCAA all-time Top 10 mark in compiling one of the meet's most balanced scoring efforts.
Barton now turns its attention to the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, set for March 6–7 at Washburn University's Indoor Facility in Topeka, Kansas.
Fox shines in pentathlon debut
Sophomore Natasha Fox delivered one of the weekend's most impressive performances, placing runner-up in her first career pentathlon appearance with 3,199 points, just 138 shy of the winning total.
Competing in the multi-event and each of its five disciplines for the first time collegiately, Fox won the 800m (2:26.69) while adding runner-up finishes in the 60m hurdles (9.26), high jump (1.50m), and long jump (5.08m). She later returned to place fourth in the open 600m, clocking a personal best and national qualifying 1:35.63 to add valuable team points.
Ulett defends; Binger rewrites the record book
Asharria Ulett defended her Region 60m hurdles title, clocking a 8.35 continuing the Cougars' historical strength in the event.
Behind her, Camoy Binger delivered one of the meet's signature performances. Blazing an 8.26 in preliminaries, Binger set a new Region 6 Indoor Championship meet record while moving to No. 2 all-time in Barton program history. The mark also ranks as the ninth-fastest time in NJCAA history. She followed with an 8.68 runner-up finish in the finals to secure eight team points. Alexia Walker added further scoring with a personal best 8.85 in fourth as all three had previously secured national qualifying standards.
McPherson and relay deliver gold
Narissa McPherson captured the 400m championship in a personal best 55.18, while Maya Maldonado added a fourth-place finish in a personal best 58.11.
The tandem of Maldonado, Walker, Takeila Williams, and McPherson closed the meet's 4x400m relay with the field's top time by nearly a full second at 3:50.75, reinforcing its national qualifying status.
Additional sprint scoring included Thomphang Basele's fourth-place personal best 7.66 in the 60m, while Sethunya Majama earlier secured a national qualifying 7.70 mark. Williams placed seventh in the 200m after posting a personal best 25.06 in preliminaries.
Riddle sweeps; Brown clears for title
Celine Riddle controlled the runway events for the second straight season, winning the long jump with a season-best 6.04m (19-10.00) before adding the triple jump title at 11.89m (39-00.00). Alexia Walker secured runner-up honors in the long jump at 5.94m.
Jahmeka Brown delivered the high jump championship by clearing 1.67m (5-05.75), with Walker adding another runner-up finish at 1.57m.
Zadie Mackey registered a pair of personal bests, placing fourth in the weight throw at 15.21m and sixth in the shot put at 12.94m. Shamoyea Morris added a fifth-place weight throw finish at 15.14m, while Shamoye Morris contributed additional points in the shot put.
Barton's Region 6 Indoor Championship Results (PR/PB = Personal record/best; NQ = Nationally Qualified; ANQ = Already Nationally Qualified)
Pentathlon: 2nd Natasha Fox (3199pts *1st Time), 10th Destany Johnson (PB 2585pts)
60m Hurdles: 3rd Natasha Fox (9.26 *1st Time), 11th Destany Johnson (10.76)
High Jump: 2nd Natasha Fox (1.50m, 4-11.00 *1st Time), 9th Destany Johnson (PB 1.41m, 4-07.50)
Shot Put: 9th Natasha Fox (8.10m, 26-07.00 *1st Time), 12th Destany Johnson (7.57m,, 24-10.00)
Long Jump: 2nd Natasha Fox (5.08m, 16-08.00 *1st Time), 8th Destany Johnson (4.87m, 16-00.00)
800m: 1st Natasha Fox (2:26.69 *1st Time), 7th Destany Johnson (PB 2:38.61)
60m Hurdles: CHAMPION Asharria Ulett (8.35), Runner-UP Camoy Binger (8.68, *8.26 in Prelims *2nd Program Fastest and Region 6 Meet Record), 4th Alexia Walker (PB 8.85) *Each Already NQ
60m: 4th Thomphang Basele (PB 7.66 *Already NQ), 11th Sethunya Majama (NQ 7.70), 16th Kennidra Spigner (PB 7.87)
200m: 7th Takeila Williams (25.12 *PB 25.06 in Prelims), 9th Thomphang Basele (*24.79 in Prelims, DNF in Finals *Already NQ), 15th Kennidra Spigner (25.65)
400m: CHAMPION Narissa McPherson (PB 55.18), 4th Maya Maldonado (PB 58.11)600m: 4th Natasha Fox (PB NQ 1:35.63)
4x400m Relay: CHAMPION 3:50.75 *Already NQ (Maya Maldonado, Alexia Walker, Takeila Williams, Narissa McPherson)
Shot Put: 6th Zadie Mackey (PB 12.94m, 42-05.50 *Already NQ), 7th Shamoye Morris (PB 12.45m, 40-10.25), 13th Shamoyea Morris (10.70m, 35-01.25)
Weight Throw: 4th Zadie Mackey (PB 15.21m, 49-11.00 *Already NQ), 5th Shamoyea Morris (15.14m, 49-08.00 *Already NQ), 12th Shamoye Morris (13.30m, 43-08.00)
Long Jump: CHAMPION Celine Riddle (SB 6.04m, 19-10.00 *Already NQ), Runner-up Alexia Walker (5.94m, 19-5.75 *Already Qualified), 9th Makiya Mosley (5.22m, 17-02.00)
Triple Jump: CHAMPION Celine Riddle (11.89m, 39-00.00 *Already NQ)
High Jump: CHAMPION Jahmeka Brown (1.67m, 5-05.75 *Already NQ), Runner-Up Alexia Walker (1.57m, 5-01.75 *Already NQ)