Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Hughes ya lashe lambar yabo ta matasa a gasar zakarun Amurka ta 1998 a kakar 1997-1998. A kakar wasa ta gaba, ta yi gasa a gasar ISU Junior Grand Prix kuma ta lashe lambar azurfa a gasar 1998 1999 Junior Grand Prix Final. Ta kuma dauki azurfa a gasar zakarun duniya ta matasa ta 1999 da aka gudanar a watan Nuwamba na shekarar 1998. A gasar zakarun Amurka ta shekarar 1999, Hughes ta lashe lambar yabo a matakin farko. A matsayin na huɗu, Hughes ba zai sami ɗaya daga cikin wurare uku ga matan Amurka a gasar zakarun duniya ta 1999 ba
, duk da haka, Naomi Nari Nam, wanda ya lashe lambar azurfa, bai cancanci cancanta ba don taron bisa ga dokokin ISU. Hakanan Hughes ba shi da shekaru, amma a lokacin akwai wata matsala ga masu wasan motsa jiki waɗanda suka sami lambar yabo a Junior Worlds. An aika Hughes zuwa manyan Duniya kuma ya gama 7th a farkonta.