By TODD MOORE
Barton Athletics
Brandon Lloyd of the 4th ranked Barton Community College men's track and field team broke two records Friday during day two action of the 2023 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in Hobbs, New Mexico.
The sophomore from Clarendon, Jamaica, marked five of his six discus throws over the 55m mark but his third toss shattered two records in leading a 1-3-6 Barton finish in the event.
Marking a 65.32m (214-04) distance, Lloyd bettered the Championship meet record set in 2021 by over seven feet and reset the 1995 national overall record by nearly four feet.
Lloyd's impact wasn't the only one felt in the event on the program's all-time list as Lloyd replaced Christopher Crawford atop the chart while Christopher Young, who was second on the list, slid down to third despite a personal best 59.68m (195-10) in placing third on the national stage. Crawford, whose 59.93m throw at the Region VI Championships two weeks ago put him temporary at the top, placed 6th on Friday with a 58.31m (191-04) mark.
The Cougars also saw a trio of program top ten impacts in the 200m preliminary rounds: Naiya Morgan (23.13) for 4th fastest all-time, Oarabile Tshosa (23.22) for 7th fastest, and Almond Small (20.29) for 5th fastest in men's program history.
Barton concluded day two with a lot of points still to be had in Saturday's finals, standing in 2nd on the women's side with 31.50 points, 23.5 behind Cloud County, while the Cougar men are in 4th with 28.50 points in trailing South Plains' leading 51 points.
On the women's side, the 2nd ranked Cougars' first eight points came in Thursday's hammer throw. Efe Latham just missed a personal best on a 50.50m (165-08) throw for 3rd place with Treneese Hamilton finishing 7th, also on a personal best throw marking at 46.04m (151-01).
Barton gained another 11 points in the later long jump, Jazmine Williamson edging out Brittania Ingram for 3rd place by two inches on a 5.99m (19-07.75) splash in the sand. On Friday Williamson gained Barton another 4.5 points in just missing a personal best height with a 1.70m (5-07) high jump.
On Friday the grueling heptathlon wrapped up with another 8 points going on the Barton total. Ana Couto had a pair of event runner-ups (100m hurdles and shot put) to finish 4th with 4972 points while Kayleigh Prentiss compiled 4395 for 6th place of the fourteen entry field.
The Cougar men's first points came in Thursday's hammer throw with Young leading Barton's trio of throwers with a 3rd place 55.88m (183-04) throw. Lloyd added two points to Young's six by placing seventh overall at 50.40m (165-04) while Crawford came up seven inches shy of points with a 9th place finish at 50.07m (164-03).
Jalen McGee, who placed 10th in Thursday's long jump (7.32m, 24-00.25), wrapped up Barton's two-day scoring with a tie for 7th place for 1.5 points in the high jump by tying a season best 2.02m (6-07.25) height.
Inclement weather to end each of the first two days has created an extra exciting timed finals for Barton's 4x100m relays, 400m hurdles, 400m dash entrants, and the Championships' always exciting final men's 4x400m relay. Friday night's women's discus was also postponed, set for a 3:00 p.m. Saturday start.
Barton had a number of athletes survive prelims and advancing to prelims.
For the women, advancing were:
- 100m hurdles: Danae Nembhard (13.59) and Kay-Lagay Clarke (13.93)
- 100m dash: Oarabile Tshosa (11.54) and Naiya Morgan (11.58)
- 200m dash: Naiya Morgan (23.13) and Oarabile Tshosa (23.22)
Cougar men advancing were:
- 100m dash: Almond Small (10.22)
- 200m dash: Almond Small (20.29)