Hughes, Barwick shine; Bay girls win Ram Invite

PANAMA CITY — Two names, one familiar to Bay County track and field fans, one not so much were center stage Saturday in the Ram Invitational.

As well as a girls team that has come from obscurity to earning its place on a sunny mid-morning and afternoon at Tommy Oliver Stadium.

Arnold junior sprinter Jamari Hughes had nearly reversed that progression until Saturday, Bay sophomore middle distance runner Sarah Barwick is beginning to make a statement at the high school level and Bay’s girls team is its strongest in more than a decade.

Hughes gained recognition as an eighth-grader at Jinks Middle School, winning the 100 and 200 in statewide competition among his age group. Since then, he’s basically been known as whatever happened to Jamari Hughes?

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Hughes said after anchoring the Marlins’ 4x100 team to an easy win. Earlier he won the open 100 in 10.98 seconds, not a take-notice time, but a comfortable one for a sprinter who has been anything but comfortable during his prep track and football experience.

“Last year, I didn’t run 10.9 until district,” Hughes said. “It’s just been frustrating.”

A slight limp following the relay accented a tightly wrapped right hamstring that has been the culprit since Hughes felt a pop during an AAU meet in 2008. Considering that he ran 11.17 at Jinks, and said he went as fast as 11-flat in an open meet the summer before entering high school, Hughes hasn’t had the lightning progression in track that many expected.

“In spring football it was bad, and I still feel it,” Hughes said, noting that the injury remains at the forefront in his race psyche. “I’m not going to say I’m a better runner now, but I’m a smarter runner.”

When the district and region meets arrive, they might disclose if he ever is going to be a healthy runner.

Barwick was a member of the Lady Tornadoes’ 4x400 quartet that reached the state meet last year, but she has loftier ambitions. The Ram Invitational made it look as though her development is on course as she won the 800 and 1600, and ran a leg on the winning 4x800 team.

Barwick’s effort helped Bay easily outdistance perennially strong Port St. Joe in the girls division. Coach Aaron Byas said the goal entering the meet was to cop both team crowns, and it was mission accomplished as the boys beat runner-up Arnold by 20 points.

The team aspect isn’t lost on Barwick.

“It’s really important,” she said. “I’m one of the captains of the team, and it’s great watching us grow.”

The 10th-grader bettered most of her targeted race times on Saturday, and hopes to remain on course until she can qualify for state in both the 800 and 1600 as a senior. The 800 remains her favorite event.

“I just love that race,” she said. “It’s not too little, but it’s not too much.”

Her winning time was 2:32.04, which she hopes to lower to about 2:20 while at Bay. In the 1600 it was 6:01. The aim in that event is sub-5:20.

Shytiarra Webb also was key to Bay’s girls win with a first in the shot put and discus. Both Bay teams are scoring in more events this season, where in the past they were reliant on success in relays.

“We saw the teams that were there and felt we could win, and the kids came up to expectations and that’s a good thing,” Byas said. “The girls, overall every level were competing well.

“We have a pretty diverse group of kids.”