Natalie Barnes: Redefining What Distance Means


Loudoun County as a whole is known for its horse farms, great schools, future Silver Line access, and of course distance running. It has seen multiple Foot Locker National Champions, multiple sub four milers, and most recently back-to-back NXN champions. Simply put, it is a distance hotbed of talent. 

One athlete though is redefining what good distance is in Loudoun County and that is Natalie Barnes. The Nebraska commit and Stone Bridge senior is on a mission to set the record straight and chase a national title. 


I'm not satisfied unless I continue to improve, so I push myself to the best I know I can be." 


Currently Natalie owns personal bests of 20-1.5 and 19-4 (indoors) in the long jump. Those marks rank her as the best Loudoun County jumper all-time, VA #10 all-time outdoors, and VA #31 all-time indoors. She is also a two-time state champion in the long jump having won both indoors and outdoors last year for Group 5. She was also the state runner-up in the triple back in 2017 with her 37-11.5 best. 

Sometimes an athlete is at the right place at the right time. That is what her coaches and she would say about the last two years. See Loudoun County only started allowing indoor competition two years ago and only last year could those athletes compete at States. That meant last indoor states was Natalie and Stone Bridge's first indoor state meet. Natalie naturally wanted to make the most of that opportunity.