Rising Haleyville High School sophomore Lewis Barber is pictured competing in the 110m hurdles at the Regional Junior Olympics in Meridian, Mississippi.
HALEYVILLE - What started off as a whim back in May has led Lewis Barber, an rising sophomore at Haleyville High School, to qualify to compete as a junior Olympian at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in Sacramento, California, July 22-27.
Last May his Haleyville High School track coach Elyse Aldridge advised him to compete in a USAT&F decathlon hosted by Hoover High School. He did well and ended the 2019 season finishing first in the state in the decathlon for his age group as a freshman.
While competing at the decathlon, he qualified to go to the New Balance Nationals this summer in Greensboro, North Carolina. He qualified in the 110m hurdles and the long jump, two events in which he had never trained. He missed the Alabama State Junior Olympics, because they were the same week. He was able to qualify on to the Regional Junior Olympics in Meridian Mississippi, based on his New Balance Nationals scores. He did really well at the regionals with the following scores:
1st 15-16 2000m steeplechase,(an event he had never run), 3rd 15-16 110m hurdles, 4th 15-16 long jump. The 17-18 steeplechasers ran at the same time and he was second overall.
Lewis’ mom, Kathy, noted that competing against this caliber of athletes who train on a daily bases in their chosen fields will be a great learning experience for Lewis and will help him to better compete in the future.
Lewis is the son of Chester and Kathy Barber, of Haleyville. He has a sister, Alma.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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