The Barton Community College women's track and field team had eleven top-three placings this past weekend including a trio of individual titles as the Cougars placed fourth overall at the 2021 NJCAA Indoor Championships held at the Robert W. Plaster Center in Pittsburg, Kansas.
The Cougars added three additional scoring placings in scoring 93 points over the course of the two-day event. Iowa Western took the title with 117 points with South Plains runner-up with 108. Cloud County was nine points better than Barton to take the third place hardware as the Cougars' total was a comfortable twenty-three points from fifth place Iowa Central.
Of the accomplishments, Barton had eleven personal best performances, two season bests, and three impacts on the storied program record book.
Barton's strength came in the field events with two of the three championships, all three of the national runner-up finishes, and three of the team's third placings.
Ana da Silva earned eighteen points in her two events, winning the shot put by over five feet with a 15.17m (49-9.25) heave and improving her program second best weight throw by three inches to 18.37m (60-03.00) to earn the second slot on the medal stand.
The Cougars were all over the medal stand's top three in the jumps as the duo of Nia Robinson and Annia Ashley piled up 44 points in three events. Robinson compiled twenty-four of those points, her biggest achievement earning the long jump title with a 6.12m (20-01.00) leap, tying for the 9th longest splash in the sand in program history. Ashley, who won the '20 indoor title, placed third with a personal best 6.00m (19-08.25).
In Friday's day one, the duo took the high jump 2-3 spots on a 1.71m (5-07.25) height as Robinson's less attempts in getting her personal best edged out Ashley's tying her personal best. Later in the day Ashley got the better of the two in the triple jump with a national runner-up 12.39m (40-07-75) mark with Robinson earning third at 12.26m (40-02.75).
Kayan Green not only won the 800m race but etched her name into the program record book with the 9th fastest time in a personal best 2:12.48 in edging the winner's tape by .57 seconds.
In the very last race of the day, the Cougars finished on a team high note in the 4x400m relay, clocking a season best 3:49.64 as the baton passers of Shemia Odaine, Jayda Dillon, Dayjsha Fanning, and Lashanna Graham placed fifth overall.
Complete Barton Women Results:
Weight Throw: National Runner-Up Ana da Silva (PB 18.37m, 60-03.00), 10th Jada Sewell (13.16m, 43-02.00)
Shot Put: NATIONAL CHAMPION Ana da Silva (15.17m, 49-09.25), 5th Jada Sewell (12.49m, 40-11.75)
Long Jump: NATIONAL CHAMPION Nia Robinson (PB 6.12m, 20-1.00 *Ties 9th best in program history), 3rd Annia Ashley (PB 6.00m, 19-08.25), 12th Shemia Odaine (5.47m, 18-10.00)
Triple Jump: National Runner-Up Annia Ashley (12.39m, 40-07.75), 3rd Nia Robinson (12.26m, 40-02.75)
High Jump: National Runner-up Nia Robinson (PB 1.71m, 5-07.25), 3rd Annia Ashley (Tied PB 1.71m, 5-07.25)
60m Hurdles: 3rd Ayesha Nelson (PB 8.67), 8th Ashanti Harvey (9.14 *PB 8.93 in Prelims)
60m: 14th Shemia Odaine (7.67)
200m: 13th Shemia Odaine (PB 25.00), 18th Jayda Dillon (25.77)
400m: 3rd Lashanna Graham (PB 55.53), 12th Dayjsha Fanning (PB 58.96)
600m:10th Sasha Brown (SB 1:40.75)
800m: NATIONAL CHAMPION Kayan Green (2:12.48 *9th fastest time program history), 12th Sasha Brown (2:26.55)
4x400m Relay: 5th 3:49.64 (Shemia Odaine, Jayda Dillon, Dayjsha Fanning, Lashanna Graham)