The Barton Community College women's track and field team turned in a strong two-day showing at the Washburn Open at the Sneed Indoor Athletic Facility behind nine season or personal bests resulting in a pair of event victories, meet records, three national qualifying performances, and several additions to the program record book as the indoor season continues to build momentum.
Hurdle dominance paced Barton's weekend as Camoy Binger delivered one of the meet's premier performances, capturing the 60-meter hurdles title in a meet-record and personal-best 8.30. Already nationally qualified entering the meet, Binger's time vaulted her into the program's 4th fastest performance all-time, backing up an 8.51 qualifying effort in prelims. Teammate Asharria Ulett completed a Cougar sweep with a runner-up finish in 8.43, also a meet record, after clocking a season-best 8.37 in the prelims. Ulett remains firmly etched in the program record book with the 3rd fastest time in school history, giving Barton the top two national times.
Barton added another win in the field events behind Celine Riddle, who captured the long jump title with a season-best 5.88m (19-03.50), reinforcing her national qualifying status on a national leading mark.
On the track, Thomphang Basele continued her strong indoor campaign by finishing ninth in the 200 meters with a new national qualifying time of 24.73, while Kayda Austin posted a new national qualifier in the 60 meters (7.72) after matching the time in both qualifying and final rounds.
The Cougars' relay depth remained evident in the 4x400, where the quartet of Narissa McPherson, Basele, Natasha Fox, and Alexia Walker placed third in 3:52.02, an already-qualified mark that continues to rank among the team's top indoor performances. Individual progress dotted the sprint group as Takelia Williams recorded a personal best 7.80 in the 60 meters and a PB 25.41 in the 200, while Barton logged multiple season-opening or season-best efforts across the quarter and middle distances.
Multi-event competition provided another highlight, led by Walker's third-place pentathlon finish totaling a personal best 3,678 points, good for the 7th highest pentathlon score in program history. Walker produced a national qualifying personal best in the 60-meter hurdles (8.94) while adding PBs in the high jump (1.64m / 5-05.75) and shot put (10.80m / 35-05.25), complementing nationally qualified efforts in the long jump and a solid 800-meter close. Destany Johnson also completed her first career pentathlon, gaining valuable experience across all five events in her debut multi-event appearance.
In the throws, Barton showed steady depth with multiple top-25 finishes in both the shot put and weight throw, while the middle-distance group added points and competitive reps in the 600 yards and 400 meters as the Cougars navigated the challenges of a two-day meet format.
Barton now turns its attention to Lincoln, Nebraska, traveling this Friday for the two-day Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, hosted inside the University of Nebraska's Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Barton Women's Results
60m: 21st Kayda Austin (NQ 7.72 *Ran 7.72 in qualifying), DNP Camoy Binger (NQ 7.67 in qualifying round, DNS in semifinals), 34th Takelia Williams (PB 7.80), 36th Asharria Ulett (7.81)
60m Hurdles: 1st Camoy Binger (Meet Record PB 8.30 *8.51 in Prelims **Already Qualified ***Program 4th Fastest), 2nd Asharria Ulett (Meet Record 8.43 *SB 8.37 in Prelims **Aready Qualified ***Already has Program 3rd Fastest)
200m: 9th Thomphang Basele (NQ 24.73), 27th Narissa McPherson (25.16), 40th Takelia Williams (PB 25.41), 57th Kennidra Spigner (25.78), 61st Maya Maldonado (25.91)400m: 27th Maya Maldonado (58.68), 54th Kayda Austin (1:02.42)
600yd: 12th Natasha Fox (1:28.77)4x400m Relay: 3rd 3:52.02 *Already NQ (Narissa McPherson, Thomphang Basele, Natasha Fox, Alexia Walker)
Long Jump: 1st Celine Riddle (SB 5.88m, 19-03.50 *Already Qualified)
Shot Put: 12th Shamoye Morris (12.25m, 40-2.25), 14th Zadie Mackey (12.22m, 40-1.25)
Weight Throw: 18th Zadie Mackey (13.79m, 45-3.00), 20th Shamoyea Morris (13.66m, 44-09.75), 23rd Shamoye Morris (13.39m, 43-11.25)
Pentathlon: 3rd Alexia Walker (PB 3678pts *Program 7th Most), 28th Destany Johnson (2080pts *1st Time in event)
Alexia Walker event results in Pentathlon: 60m Hurdles: 2nd 922pts (NQ PB 8.94), High Jump: 3rd 783pts (PB 1.64m, 5-05.75 *Already NQ), Shot Put: 5th 582pts (PB 10.80m, 35-05.25), Long Jump: 3rd 750pts (5.67m, 18-7.25 *Already NQ), 800m: 11th 641pts (2:34.21)
Destany Johnson event results in Pentathlon: 60m Hurdles: 29th 580pts (10.74), High Jump: DNP 0pts (No Height), Shot Put: 27th 383pts (7.75m, 25-5.25), Long Jump: 18th 562pts (5.01m, 16-5.25), 800m: 16th 555pts (2:41.57)