By BRANDON SMITH
Barton Sports Info
The Barton Community College swimming teams sustained their early season success Friday afternoon competing in the annual Sunflower Showdown held at the Robinson Natatorium in Lawrence, Kansas.
Featured as the lone two-year school, the Cougar men exhibited a runner-up finish against the three team Kansas field while their counterparts, the Lady Cougars ran into a pair of top tier four-year programs conducting a third-place finish in the field of four. Claiming the men's title was the University of Saint Mary's from the NAIA while host school and Division I powerhouse University of Kansas captured the women's crown.
Men's RecapThe Barton men were strong throughout the one-day event claiming six of the 10 events.
Freshmen Mateo Wallet and Arnaldo Guimaraes helped fill the hardware box each earning a pair of golds individually.
Wallet captured his pair in the 200-yard freestyle clocking a 1:50.28) before later setting one of Barton's six new personal best times on the day leading the field of seven in the 100-yard backstroke to the wall in 56.83. Guimaraes secured his pair of golds in the 200-yard IM with a 2:00.25 stoppage while maneuvering through the waves with a personal best 4:58.45 in the long distance 500-yard freestyle.
Barton's other individual title came from freshman Joao Ribeiro out stretching the 10-fielded 50-yard freestyle field with a personal best 21.98, with teammate Cameron Sein finishing runner-up in 22.01.
The Cougars final title clinched on the afternoon came in the team side as the four pack of Ribeiro, Wallet, Guimaraes and Sein combined a quickest stoppage of 1:27.57 in the 200-yard freestyle relay to conclude the squads six gold afternoon.
Women's RecapAleksandra Cicha manufactured the highest result on the women's side as the sophomore long distance specialist clocked a season best 5:47.46 for sixth quickest in the 500-yard freestyle.
Facing a stout 100-yard freestyle field, freshman Katy Alvarez secured the next highest finish for the Cougars with a personal best stoppage 1:17.04 while Elena Lara closed out the individual top-10 placings for Barton with the sophomore tapping the wall 10th quickest 2;28:82 in the 200-yard IM.
In relays, Barton accumulated a pair of top-10 finishes with the 200-yard freestyle relay turning in the highest placing of eight behind the four pack of Cicha, Mia Naldoza, Lara, and Alvarez accruing a 1:56.86 stoppage.
Next up for the Cougars is a Saturday road trip north to Council Groves, Iowa for a pair of duals against Dordt University and Iowa Western Community College.