Hallee Hughes of Willamina takes first 2 steps toward becoming a 3A girls triple-crown thrower

By René Ferrán 

The easy part’s over for Willamina junior Hallee Hughes.

All that’s left for her to become the second Class 3A girl to sweep the throws at the OSAA track and field championships since Oregon went to six classifications in 2007?

Pulling the upset in her weakest event, the shot put.

Hughes took care of the first two steps to the triple crown during the first day of the two-day meet at Hayward Field in Eugene on Thursday, winning titles as a heavy favorite in the discus and javelin.

“I feel really good right now,” said Hughes, hoping to match Jordynn Slater of La Pine from the 2018 meet. “Now, I want to put a little cherry on top and get the third.”

Hughes acknowledged feeling a bit nervous before her first event, the javelin, but then quickly turned her focus to “what I wanted to accomplish, my mechanics, and how far I wanted to throw.”

She was hoping to get back to the 140-foot range, which she hadn’t done since launching a 148-1 personal best in early April. She hit a couple during warmups, but once the throws were for real, the best she could muster was a 138-1 on her final attempt — still her second-best throw of the season.

“It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great, either. It was neutral,” she said. “I’m never going to be truly satisfied until I reach the very top.” 

She felt better walking through a hallway under the Hayward Field grandstands to the discus ring, but again she left a bit dissatisfied. She never trailed in the competition and threw her winning 128-10 on her third attempt in the prelims, but she was nearly eight feet off her personal best.

“After javelin, I was like, ‘OK, I’m pumped up. I’m warmed up. I’m ready to go,’ but then I did just OK,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever do enough.”

She paused for a second.

“I’ll do enough when I go to the Olympics,” she finished.