Barber looks to soar in college - as a pilot

Zach Urness

Leader Staff

There is something decidedly smooth about the way Cameron Barber exits the surface of the earth. Whether he's rising above opponents on the basketball court or clearing ridiculous heights in the high jump, his ability to launch himself into the stratosphere and hang with Jordanesque fluidity gives him the momentary illusion of flight.

And it's flight that has Barber on his way to Rocky Mountain College, but not for reasons you might think. True, he will be suiting up for the Rocky Mountain Bears basketball team next season and receiving a handsome scholarship to do it, but his main motivation to attend Rocky was not to fly above the rim, it was to fly above the clouds.

"Studying aeronautic science was the main reason I choose Rocky," said Barber of his future plans. "I want to become a commercial airline pilot and Rocky has a great program and is close to home."

Being close to home has become a priority for Barber, especially after his biggest supporter, his father Sam Barber, had heart surgery only a few weeks ago — which happened to be at the same time Barber was competing at the track and field divisional tournament.

"My mom told me at school that my dad had to go to Missoula because his heart arteries were clogged and he needed surgery," recalled Barber. "It was hard not having him there because he travels with us all over the state and is right there for every meet."

And it ended up being that meet he would need his father's help the most. After setting the top mark in the state for the high jump at 6' 6," he struggled at after the rain made the take-off area slippery. In real danger of not qualifying for state, he thought back to advice his father had given him throughout the year, and, with added motivation, hit a mark of six feet on his final try and then proceeded to hit 6' 2" and 6' 4," to claim a divisional title.

"I just thought about what he always says, to relax and just focus," explained Barber. "Just thinking about him helped me calm down and motivated me."

Apparently resilience is a family trait, because the following week, Sam Barber, confined to a wheelchair during his recovery, made it to Missoula to watch his son take second place at state. Barber missed first place only because it took him one jump longer to hit 6' 6" then Columbia Fall's Bobby Pearce.

"My goal was to get first in state. I thought 6 foot 4 inches would be good enough," said Barber, "but Bobby jumped amazing and you have to give him credit."

That kind of humility endeared him to his coaches, one of which, Ronan track coach Crystal Pitts, said that Barber helped inspire her to return and coach this season after a serious car accident left her with multiple injuries.

"I am always looking for stories to share with students," said Pitts. "Cameron has become one of those stories. His maturity through the past couple of years has made him a role model for future Ronan Chiefs and students."

"Good role models aren't always the winner of an event," Pitts continued, "It can be their character that makes them a champion who will live on in our hearts and minds, and Cameron is a champion to me. He was a big part of the reason for me to get up and get going after the wreck. I will miss him being at my office, on the track, on the bus, in the halls. I am thankful to have been able to share in his life."

Barber also played the leading role on Ronan's basketball team. After enduring a 23-game losing streak, Barber helped the Chiefs turn it around and take fourth place in the conference — including two wins over rival Polson — and earned first team all-conference honors in the process.

Averaging just under a double-double per game, Barber filled up the stat page by leading the league in rebounding (9.39), blocked shots (2.33) and two-point field goals per game (5.44). He was also in the conference top ten in field goal percentage (46.67%), scoring (13.50) and steals (1.39).

While he's had plenty of success in basketball and track and field, Barber's favorite moment at Ronan actually came in 2005 as a member of the cross-country team that won the state championship.

He achieved off the field as well, posting a 3.1 GPA and earning a place on the honor roll.

But now, with the glory days of high school athletics behind him, Barber is looking toward his future at Rocky Mountain, where he will receive roughly $19,000 in athletic and academic scholarship money.

Although much of that money comes from his ability to fly on the basketball court, it's flying an airplane that really has him excited.

"I went to a summer flight camp before my senior year," he said. "They showed us all the instruments and we got to fly on our own. I had a lot of fun, and it seemed like a great career."

Barber plans to minor in coaching, as a backup plan to his piloting.

"Even if you get your license, you can lose your ability to fly really easily," he explained. "So I want something to fall back on, and I love sports so I think coaching would be a good fit."

Whether or not his career as a basketball player or a pilot works out remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure; Cameron Barber's head is permanently lodged in the clouds.

"I guess I just love being in the air," he said.