Byron Nelson alumna Sanaa Barnes earns silver at USATF Nationals
Byron Nelson alumna Sanaa Barnes earns silver at USATF Nationals
Byron Nelson High School alumna Sanaa Barnes earned silver in the women’s high jump at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships, setting a lifetime best in the event.
Sanaa cleared a height of 1.94 meters (6 feet, 4 ¼ inches) for her new personal best during the competition, finishing just behind national champion Vashti Cunningham’s jump of 1.97 meters (6 feet, 5 ½ inches). She is now tied for 20th in the world rankings in the event for the 2025 season.
With her performance, Sanaa will likely compete in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. The high jump features among the most challenging qualification standards for performances to earn entry into the world competition, with the next top-ranking athletes who meet their nation’s qualification criteria also earning entry into the meet, so long as they rank among the top performers in their nation for their events.
While a Bobcat, Sanaa earned a high jump state title in the 6A classification in 2017 at the UIL Track & Field State Championships, and she earned a medal in the competition each of her four years in high school. She went on to study and compete in college for Villanova and Auburn.
At both Villanova and Auburn, she placed at the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships. In 2024, she finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials.