And the two were overjoyed.
“We were pumped,” Hamlett said. “We were like, ‘Hey, look at us.’ We thought we did a great job.”
Fast forward to this year’s meet. Hamlett and his army of coach-helpers will welcome well more than 50 schools and 1,000 athletes to the Houston High campus for what is simultaneously the state’s biggest regular-season high school meet and a showcase for the sport in Memphis.
They’ll also be welcoming one of track’s most decorated and recognizable names.
Asafa Powell will be on hand Saturday between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to meet fans, sign autographs and pose for pictures. Only three men have ever run the 100 meters faster than Powell, who set the then-world record in 2005 in a time of 9.77 seconds.
The Jamaican also has an Olympic gold and two World Championships as part of his country’s 4x100 meter relay teams and broke the 10-second barrier 97 times in his career.
Powell’s appearance stems from another new wrinkle to this year’s event, a relationship with the Ed Murphey Classic, the summer meet that’s been bringing pros to Memphis every year since 2017. This year’s Murphey Classic, scheduled for July 11-13, will be the second stop on the Puma American Track League circuit and Powell represents the athletic apparel giant.
“(Murphey Classic executive director) Max (Paquette) and I were talking,” said Hamlett. “I asked him, ‘Puma has pro athletes; do they ever come to stuff?’ He goes, ‘Yes, let’s see what they say.’ And then I was like, ‘Well, see what Bolt’s doing.’”
Usain Bolt might yet one day make it to Memphis. But the star power of Powell is more than enough for this year as Hamlett continues to grow his event into not just a meet, but what he calls a “track carnival.”
The Murphey Classic will also be very visible, too, hoping to bring even more attention — and attract even more fans — to an event that has also seen tremendous growth in a relatively short time.
But the emphasis, for coaches like Hamlett, will be what happens on the track. As he points out, the Houston event is the one meet in Shelby County that draws virtually all the top talent from city schools, suburban schools and private schools.
And as always, the competition will be fierce. With the season basically at its halfway point, Shelby County is home to the state’s top 400-meter runner (Crosstown’s Austin McCall); 110 hurdler (Christopher Talley of Whitehaven); 300 hurdler (Courtney Lee of Whitehaven); 4x800 relay team (CBHS); and discus thrower (Ashton Hearn of CBHS), according to Tennessee MileSplit’s rankings.
It’s just as impressive on the girls side with Collierville athletes Kennedi Woods (400), Khari Webb (300 hurdles) and Ehi Aigbomian (triple jump) leading in their respective events. Collierville also has the top 4x200 and 4x400 relays while Bartlett is currently setting the pace in the 4x100.
Great competition, one of the sport’s legends, a strong community presence, a meet that’s expertly timed and professionally announced: The Classic has become something Hamlett could never have imagined.
“It’s almost like this week I’m a track coach first and a (social studies) teacher a little bit,” he said.
Hamlett is adamant: This is not a one-man show, nor could it be at this point. But it’s still his baby.
“It’s just crazy how it’s (grown),” he said. “We keep tinkering with it ... I bumped into a Hutchison runner a few years ago and she had long graduated. She said, ‘You know, I don’t remember a lot about my track career, but I remember us going to the Houston Classic.’
“And thinking, ‘Man, this is a big deal. I’m glad we’re here. This is what real track looks like.’”
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