Hallee Hughes sets personal record in first meet back from injury
Hallee Hughes, a five-time state champion and school record holder from Willamina High School, set a new personal record in the javelin while competing for DI University of Nevada, Reno at the Cal Invitational on March 21.
On her fourth attempt following a foul, Hughes PR hurl of 167-0 beat out Fresno State’s Tearra Haney’s best of 149-0 by more than 18 feet, securing her first place in the 11-player field.
The performance was a relief after Hughes had spent a year as a redshirt recovering from a complete reconstruction of her posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), a major ligament inside the knee that connects the femur to the tibia.
“It was a giant weight off my shoulders,” Hughes told the News-Register. “I was scared I was never going to be able to do what I used to or be as good as I used to be, but I am so glad that I’m way stronger than before.”
Hughes suffered a partial PCL tear while playing high school basketball her senior year in 2023 and had the injury worsen while a freshman at UNR. Recovery included strength building and a plethora of functionality work to ensure the knee could move in the ways required for throwing competitions.
“Because I took such a long time to get it fixed, it was really hard for me to figure out how to run, jump, and throw normally,” Hughes said. “It’s like my muscles and nerves forgot how to work together.”
The time post-surgery also allowed Hughes to work on “being my block and timing within my throws,” which resulted in the former Bulldog perfecting some existing skills.
Hughes is still feeling the effects post-reconstruction, with some PCL injury-side muscles at less strength than others. But she has seen sublime results in competition and practice. She hungers for more and looks forward to seeing what she accomplishes with three more years of collegiate eligibility (including 2026).
“Time is on my side, and I’m very hopeful for my future competitions,” she said.
On March 28, Hughes placed second at the Jim Bush Legends/Bob Larsen Distance Invitational hosted by the University of California, Los Angeles at Drake Stadium. There, Hughes reached a mark of 166-3, which was shorter than her best, but still well above her previous record of 155-0 set as a college freshman in 2024.
Hughes redshirted her second year at UNR and is competing as a redshirt junior for the Wolf Pack in 2026.
While at Willamina, Hughes was a 2A State Champion in the javelin and discus in 2023 and 3A State Champion in both events in 2022. She took gold in the discus in 2021 at the 3A level, while placing second in the javelin.
Hughes was also an All-American in the javelin in 2023, alongside her sister, Hadley, who was a 3A javelin champion as a sophomore at Dayton High School in 2025.
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