Olivia Barr is something of a fish out of water a bit when it comes to high school track-and-field.
The rising senior at Arlington’s Wakefield High School is a standout in multiple girls sports, especially track. Yet, maybe her best individual field event — the javelin — isn’t offered in high-school track-and-field in Virginia.
So she only gets to compete for Wakefield in that event in competitions held separately from Virginia High School League-sanctioned contest.
Despite the obstacle, Barr has continued to participate, medal and thrive in the event in various youth and non-high-school competitions since she began throwing a decade ago.
Barr recently won the inaugural Virginia State Javelin championship meet in the girls division with a throw of 156-feet, 2 1/4-inches.
For a while now, Barr has been nationally recognized in the event, and last year won a national youth championship.
The 17-year-old currently competes in the 17-18 girls age group when throwing the 600-gram javelin. Her personal best throw is 162.5 feet. She has even competed in some college meets and has worked out with Olympians.
“I got exposed to throwing the javelin and had the opportunity to start at a young age, like in the fourth grade, and have always liked this,” said Barr, who sometimes practices throwing on the fields around the Fairlington Community Center. “In the sixth grade, I started really getting serious, and a lot better.”
She threw 130 feet in the sixth grade, then 145 in the seventh. The 145 mark is considered a good high-school distance.
Barr learned the javelin from her father, Jim. He threw the javelin in college for the U.S. Army and has participated in adult masters javelin competitions.
As she was learning to throw the javelin, Barr played and excelled in sports like basketball, tennis, lacrosse, swimming and climbing, now crew and other track events.
During this past spring’s outdoor track-and-field season, Barr competed in one high-school meet in the javelin for Wakefield, placing sixth at the Penn Relays meet in the girls high-school event.
She also has participated in other track-and-field events for Wakefield. During the winter indoor season, competing in shot put, Barr placed eighth in the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state meet and, before that, third in the 6D North Region meet.
Barr also has been a sprinter and jumper on Wakefield teams.
“She has been a good thrower for us and can be very good in other events,” Wakefield track-and-field coach Jordan Wright told Run Washington.
Wright also threw the javelin in college, so he is able to talk and add advice to Barr about the event.
Other than that Penn Relays meet, Barr participated little during the spring’s outdoor track-and-field season for Wakefield. That’s because she was a member on Wakefield’s girls crew team and rowed on the state-champion girls varsity eight shell.
“Rowing is the hardest thing I have ever done,” Barr said.
Despite that, she likes crew a lot, maybe equally as much as throwing the javelin. Barr is considering participating in both in college, and has been contacted by college coaches in each sport.
