Lashley takes over Barton track program
There is a new head at the top of the monster known as the Barton County track and field team. Lyles Lashley was promoted Friday from his assistant coaching job with the Cougars to the head coach, replacing Lance Brauman. Brauman accepted a job as assistant men's coach at the University of Arkansas.

"I'm excited about taking over a program that is probably the top junior college program in the country," Lashley said. "I just hope to carry on the tradition that goes from Coach Brauman all the way to back."

Lashley has been an assistant to Brauman for the past five years, producing several national champions in the throws, distances, and middle distances -- the events he has been in charge of. That has helped the Cougars win five straight men's and women's NJCAA Indoor titles, five straight men's NJCAA Outdoor titles and three straight women's NJCAA Outdoor titles.

Lashley has also been responsible for the cross country team during that. Last season the men's team had it's highest finish ever, placing third at the NJCAA National Meet. That achievement was rewarded by when Lashley was named the NJCAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Barton County athletic director Neil Elliott said it would be an easy transition for Lashley to take over the program.

"The primary thing is with the program and the success of the program, we want to maintain its level of excellence," Elliott said. "It has been somewhat of a tradition here to elevate the assistant coach to the head coach when the job opens. We have been able to maintain that level of excellence by doing that. I see no reason why that will not continue."

Lashley came to Barton in 1998 after a one-year stint at Hitchcock High School in Texas. During college he ran cross country competitively for Louisiana Tech.

Lashley took over the cross country program and has placed the women' in the Top 10 at the NJCAA Meet every year since that time. The men's team place 5th at the NJCAA Meet two years ago, then earned 3rd last year.

As the throws, distance, and middle distance coach for the Cougars the past five years, Lashley has overseen 120 NJCAA All-Americans in those sports and crowned 26 NJCAA National Champions.

In his time as throw coach for the Cougars, Barton produced its first-ever NJCAA Champions in several events -- the women's indoor weight throw (Brandy Blackwood, 2002), men's indoor shot put (Garland Porter, 2002), men's indoor weight throw (Adam Judge, 1999 & 2000), women's outdoor discus (LaQuanda Cotton, 2000), women's outdoor hammer throw (Aisha Smith, 2000), men's outdoor shot put (Garland Porter, 2002), and men's outdoor discus (Anthony Snider, 2002).

Lashley takes over with a stable full of defending champions from last year's team. Veronica Campbell, currently among the Top 10 in the 100m and 200m world times this year, is back to defend her NJCAA titles indoors (60m and 200m) and outdoors (100m and 200m). Also back as National Champions for the women are Tameka Johnson (1000m indoors) and Brandy Blackwood (weight throw indoors). LaShauntea Moore is also back after finishing third behind Campbell in the 60m and 200m indoors and the 100m outdoors. She earned silver in the 200m outdoors.

On the men's side he returns the two fastest sprinters in junior college last year in Tyson Gay and Erick Wilson. Gay won the 60m and 200m indoors as well as the 100m outdoors. He was a finalist in the USA National Meet in the 100m dash as well. Wilson finished second to Gay in the 100m outdoors and won the 200m outdoor title.

Hurdlers Derrick Williams (1st, 110m hurdles outdoors and 1st 60m hurdles indoors) is back as is Azim Smith, who took silver in the 100m hurdles. Porter is also back in the throws after his two NJCAA titles last year.

"This is a great situation," Coach Lashley said. "We have a lot of kids coming back, which gives us a great nucleus to work with.

"The first thing I need to do is hire a coach to work with the sprinters and jumpers. I'm a middle distance, distance, and throws coach. The success of our teams has been based on our sprinters and jumpers and that will not change."

A new assistant could be in named within two weeks.

The Board of Trustees will have final approval of the administration's recommendation of the appointment.

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