The 6-foot-1, 170-pound senior jumper/sprinter won a national title in the long jump at Nike Outdoor Nationals to earn All-American honors this past season. Hughes followed up with a second-place finish in the event at USATF U20 Championships, soaring a state-record 25 feet, 4.5 inches and recording the nation’s top wind-legal distance among boys prep competitors this spring. He won three gold medals at the Class AAA state meet, winning his signature event as well as the 100- and 200-meter dash, helping the Knights to fifth place as a team. His clocking in the 200 was a personal-best 21.22 seconds, which ranked No. 82 nationally in 2024.
Hughes has maintained a 3.26 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on scholarship at the University of Arkansas this fall.
A member of the Youth Leaders For Change initiative, a non-profit organization that helps equip young people with life and leadership skills, Hughes has volunteered locally by packing food for Feed My Starving Children, which helps provide nutrition for the malnourished worldwide. He has also donated his time with the school’s football team during Stockyard Days, a 10-day celebration of the spirited history of the town of New Brighton.
