by Benny Benton
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Barton College men's track and field team broke three existing school records and set two benchmarks in new events for the Bulldogs as they began their second season of indoor competition Sunday in the Winston-Salem State Open at JDL Fast Track.
Freshman Adam Pope, a resident of Littleton, N.C., and product of Kipp Pride High School, made a memorable track debut for Barton, becoming the school's first individual winner in an indoor event when he led a field of five in the 5000 meter run. His time of 17:41.50 was 17 seconds better than runner-up Seth Burnette of Kentucky Wesleyan.
The Bulldogs also received an excellent showing from upperclassman Austin Edmonds. The junior from Sandy Ridge, N.C., finished second among 25 runners in the 800-meters with a time of 2:00.52 that broke his own school record by nearly three seconds. Edmonds also recorded a top-five showing in the mile, placing fourth among 21 runners with a time of 4:39.55, roughly one second off of his school record in that event.
Finishing directly behind Edmonds in third place in the 800 was another Barton freshman, Yacine Gharbi. The Salisbury, Md., resident posted a time of 2:01.53, just under two seconds behind his teammate and five seconds back of race winner Sonny Hicks of Bowie State.
Pope and Gharbi were two of a half-dozen new faces who made immediate impact for the Bulldogs. Junior transfer Kendrick Smith not only set a benchmark in the 60-meter hurdles with a preliminary run of 8.77 seconds, but the time also advanced him into the finals, where he placed fifth with a mark just .01 slower than his qualifying time.
Newcomer Zachary Thompson broke Ross Johnson's 2013 school record of 8.65 in the 60-meter dash by more than half a second, crossing the line in the preliminary round in 8.02 seconds. The Bulldogs also saw freshmen Luar Mercardo Lopez and Tyler Amerson both place among top half of the field in the mile with times of 4:54.35 and 5:00.27, respectively.
Another school record was shattered by sophomore Trevor Kyle. The 2013 all-conference performer far exceeded his old indoor mark of 12.84 meters in the shot put, tossing the 16-pound weighted ball 13.58 meters to place fifth among 24 participants.
The team will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 7, when it competes in the Vince Brown Invitational in Newport News, Va. The meet will be hosted by Christopher Newport University.
