by Benny Benton
SALISBURY, N.C. – Led by a top-25 performance from junior Sebaston Barrett, the Barton College men's cross country team tied for fifth among 10 teams in the Chick-Fil-A Invitational hosted by Catawba College on Saturday.
Barrett, a resident of Coral Springs, Fla., led the Bulldogs for the first time in his career by posting a time of 30:57.16 over the 8K course at Salisbury Community Park, good for 23rd place in the field of 62.
Junior transfer Tevin Aitken narrowly missed joining Barrett in the top-25, placing 27th in his Barton debut with a time of 31:49.53.
Senior Adam Pope recorded Barton's third-best result, a time of 32:09.66 that earned 32nd place. Senior Luar Mercado Lopez followed three spots back in 35th with a time of 33:04.55, and freshman Marquez Lemon trailed another three spots back in 38th with a mark of 34:05.21.
Also competing in his first collegiate meet was freshman Cameron Santouse, who produced an effort of 41:51.52 in finishing 56th.
Barton, running its first meet under new head coach David Nicholson, tied Guilford College for fifth place with 155 points.
Louisburg College placed five runners among the top seven to win the meet with 21 points. Lenoir-Rhyne University was second with 48 points, followed by host Catawba with 76 and Pfeiffer University with 119.
Trailing Barton and Guilford in seventh was Bluefield State College with 206 points. Rounding out the scoring was Winston-Salem State University in eighth with 223 points, Livingstone College in ninth with 232, and Bluefield College in 10th with 245.
Barton will host the fourth annual Bulldog Cross Country Invitational on Friday at J. Burt Gillette Park. The men's race is slated to begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. The meet is free and open to the public.
Chick-Fil-A Invitational
1. Louisburg College 21
2. Lenoir-Rhyne University 48
3. Catawba College 76
4. Pfeiffer University 119
5. Barton College 155
Guilford College 155
7. Bluefield State College 206
8. Winston-Salem State University 223
9. Livingstone College 232
10. Bluefield College 245
Barton finishers
23. Sebaston Barrett – 30:57.16
27. Tevin Aitken – 31:49.53
32. Adam Pope – 32:09.66
35. Luar Mercado Lopez – 33:04.55
38. Marquez Lemon – 34:05.21
(56). Cameron Santouse – 41:51.52
