Justin Northwest Byron Nelson is a Dallas suburb that is home to one of the top sport athletes in the state. No, this is not about the typical football player who can also run, jump, or throw. This is about a young lady. A young lady who excels in track and field as much as she does in volleyball.
Junior Sanaa Barnes is coming off of the UIL 6A state track and field championships, last week when she cleared 5-8 to win her first state championship in the high jump. As a freshman, Barnes finished in second place in Texas' largest classification and last season, as a sophomore, she placed third. This year, jumping a PR of 5-10 during the season, Barnes was determined to return to the state meet with a determination to come away with nothing but first place and a gold medal.
The high jump pit is not the only place Barnes excels. Barnes devotes just as much time, if not more to her other love, volleyball. Barnes travels across the state and the country throughout the year to take on some of the best volleyball competition in her age group. From gym to gym and court to court, she is one of the top players including being tops on her Byron Nelson team as well as her club team, the Madfrog Volleyball Club. The best comprehensive volleyball coverage site - FloVolleyball has Barnes as one of their Top 25 Texas Players: Class of 2018.
On the court, Barnes plays OPP, on the right side. Standing only 5-9, she uses her athleticism and jumping ability to her advantage as she has to hit over and block girls where the prototype is 6-3. For Barnes, her hard work is paying off. In fact, she has already committed to Villanova University to compete in both sports.
Barnes has enjoyed a lot of athletic success in her young competitive life. However, that success has not come without some serious obstacles and challenges. As a sixth grader, Barnes lost her uncle. To compound the emotional stress, she then lost her brother just a few years after that, when she was in the 8th grade. The loss of lives were not the only emotional and real life obstacles the Barnes family have had to fight through. The horrible disease of cancer had also found it's way into the center of the Barnes family. Losing two immediate family members within such a short time of each other as well as having to fight other health battles must have been tough, but not been enough to break Barnes and her family. They have persevered and conquered the obstacles that life has thrown and they continue to do so. Sanaa Barnes continues to do so, "I jump for my uncle, my brother, and my mother."
Check out the Q&A with Sanaa Barnes as she shares her journey as a two sport star and her family and sports family's impact.
