By BRANDON SMITH
Barton Sports Info
The Barton Community College women's basketball team has been tabbed to finish third in the Jayhawk Conference for the upcoming 2024-25 season according to the league member coaches' voting.
The Lady Cougars finished last season 22-10 after reaching the Region VI Semifinals for a sixth straight year before bowing out to eventual NJCAA National Champion and 2025 conference favorite Hutchinson Community College.
Picked to defend their title, the nation's top ranked Blue Dragons claimed 10 of the 12 first-place votes while No. 14 Dodge City Community was tabbed to finish runner-up with the Cougars' claiming one first place vote in third. Garden City Community College received the final top place vote in picked fourth as Butler Community College rounded out the top five predictions.
Head Coach Alan Clark enters his ninth season at the helm, returning just one starter from last season forward Vivian Onugha. Three total players return from last season with guards Brittany Simpson and Macie Smith also returning.
The Lady Cougars will begin the season in Hobbs, New Mexico against a pair of top-10 programs opening on Friday, November 1 against No. 8 Odessa College followed against host No. 7 New Mexico Junior College on Saturday November 2.
Barton will then head to the Hutchinson Classic November 8th and 9th before hosting their home opener in the annual Cougar Booster Club Classic held November 15-16 against Gogebic Community College followed by Redlands Community College on Saturday.
Clark and the Cougars open conference play November 20 hosting the top ranked Blue Dragons of Hutchinson, followed by road trips to Garden City and Cloud County before winding up November welcoming Cowley to the Barton Gym.
Just one home contest dots the December calendar coming on the 5th against Butler.
Following the month-long holiday break, the Cougars kickoff the second half of the season January 8 as Fort Hays Tech Northwest comes to the Barton Gym.
Special event night's planned to date are: January 29 or February 5 – Community Engagement Night, February 12 – Pink Out Night, and February 15 – Hall of Fame Day.
Tickets for reserved seating, as well as, parking passes, Booster Club memberships, and Cougar Den memberships are currently on sale with information found at BartonSports.com.