Brathwaite reaches Olympic A mark; sets school record in 110m hurdles
Barton Community College sophomore Ryan Brathwaite set the school record and reached the Olympic A standard in the 110m hurdles at the Central American & Caribbean Senior Championships. Brathwaite will compete for Barbados during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Brathwaite – the NJCAA Championship last season as a freshman for the Cougars – ran a 13.49 to break the Barbados national record, which he already held. In the last Olympics former Cougars Stephen Jones ran in the 110m hurdles for Barbados. In the finals, Brathwaite ran a 13.66, placing 5th.

All State performer Weiser commits to Barton women
The Barton Community College women’s basketball team continued its success in recruiting with the commitment of Kimber Weiser from Oakley High School in Oakley. Weiser will bring a wealth of playing experience to Barton as she was a 4-year starter in high school. Her career has been marked by numerous achievements both individually, as well as from a team standpoint which includes a 2A state championship her junior year.

Gay injured in 200m; Fountain, Davis just miss US team in jumps
Tyson Gay will not be seeking a sprint double in the 2008 Olympics, pulling up lame just a few meters into the quarterfinals of the 200m at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Gay had won the 100m with a new American Record in the 1st session of the Trials. Hyleas Fountain and Walter Davis just missed earning a spot on the US team in jumping events as Fountain took 4th in the women’s long jump and Davis 4th in the men’s triple jump. Fountain will be a part of the US team in the Heptathlon. Bernard Williams, Susan King, Cassandra Lee, and Garland Porter all made the finals of their event but did not finish in the top 3 to earn a spot on the US team in Beijing, China later this summer.

Gay breaks 100m American Record; Fountain dominates in Heptathlon
Tyson Gay and Hyleas Fountain both turned in dominate performances over the weekend at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon in the process of earning themselves a spot in the Olympics for the 1st time their careers. Gay broke the American record in the 100m while Fountain dominated the field in the heptathlon. Both will be back for more during the 2nd session of the US Trials. There were the only two former Barton Community College athletes to earn a spot on the US team during the 1st weekend of qualifying.

Campbell to defend 200m Olympic Gold; Sands to jump in Beijing
Former Barton Community College star and reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in the 200m Veronica Campbell-Brown will be defending her title in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing later this summer after earning a spot on the Jamaican Team this weekend during Olympic Trials in the country. Campbell won the 200m but will not be competing in the 100m at this year’s Olympics, finishing 4th in a highly competitive finals. Also earning a spot from the Caribbean will be Leevan Sands from the Bahamas, after winning the nations triple jump title. For Sands it will be a return trip to track and field’s highest stage after competing in the 2004 Olympics in the triple.

Caribbean nations in midst of Olympic Trials
Several former Barton Community College track and field athletes will compete this weekend for a place on their nations 2008 Olympic Team later this summer in Beijing, China. Jamaica and the Bahamas are two countries that will have former Cougars competing to make the Olympics. Trinidad & Tobago just completed their national championships this past weekend with one ex Cougar more than likely earning a spot at the Olympics when Aaron Armstrong qualified in both the 100m and 200m. This weekend reigning Olympic 200m gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown will vie for a spot on the Jamaican team again in both the 100m and 200m as well as the 4x100m relay. She will be among close to double digit former Cougars competing at the championships.

Former Cougars ready for US Olympic Trials
Several former Barton Community College track and field athletes will attempt to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics when the US Olympic Trials are held in Eugene, Ore. over the next two weekends. A handful of former Cougars are among the tops in the United States with a very good shot at making the US Olympic team. Another group of former Cougars will get the chance to make the team as longshots with anywhere from 15-20 ex Barton track and field stars expected to compete for a place on the US Olympic team. Qualifying marks are based on this year performance. In addition, those who medaled in the 2004 Olympics or at the World Championships in 2005 and 2007 or the World Athletic Finals in 2006 automatically qualify to participate in the US Olympic Trials.

Lawrence Star Signs with Barton women’s basketball
The Barton County Community College women’s basketball team’s outstanding season is continuing to pay dividends as they have signed Lawrence High School senior Danielle Bird to a letter of intent. Danielle, a 5-11 wing, led Lawrence High to the 6A State Championship this season, and has decided to bring her talents to Barton to continue her career. Bird is coming off a tremendous senior season, in which she led a very balanced team in scoring at 11.2 points per game, and she also contributed 5.5 rebounds, and 3 assists. In back-to back games at the state tournament, Danielle scored 21 points and 17 points respectively en route to a state championship.

McPherson standout signs to play basketball for Barton women
The Barton County Community College women’s basketball team has landed one of the top players in the state of Kansas with the announcement that McPherson standout Jordi James has signed a letter of intent to play basketball in 2008-2009. As a senior, James averaged 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3 steals per game for the Bullpups as they claimed the 5A State Championship. She led her team in every statistical category with the exception of rebounds, finishing second.  James will help replace 3 sophomores – all starters – from Barton’s 34-4 team last season that took 4th at the NJCAA National Tournament.

Barclay takes over as head coach for Barton women’s basketball
For the 2nd time in 2 years the Barton County Community College women’s basketball team will have a new head coach. Thanks to the success of the Cougars in the past few years, the team will have its 3rd coach in 3 seasons, naming Jill Barclay as the school’s 10th head coach. Barclay has taken over the duties pending the approval of the school’s Board of Trustees Tuesday during its June meeting. Barclay replaces Chance Lindley, who led Barton to a 34-4 mark this past season before taking an assistant coaching job at the University of Arizona.

Kohler reassumes head volleyball coaching duties
A familiar face will be on the sidelines next season for the Barton County Community College volleyball team. Barton Athletic Director Kurt Kohler will be guiding the Cougars next fall in addition to the AD duties. Kohler coached Barton volleyball for 1 season before resigning to become the Athletic Director. He will replace Ryan Parker, who moved on James Madison University to become an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I school.