T'Mars McCallum rose to fame after his incredible performance at the Ed Murphey Classic, which took place on July 11-12 at Billy J. Murphy Soccer and Track Complex in Memphis. In this event, the athlete competed in the 100m and 200m races.
McCallum proved his dominance in the 100m dash by recording an impressive time of 9.87s. He bested Davonte Howell and Traunard Folson to stand atop the podium, who claimed the second and third places, respectively. Similarly, he shone bright in the 200m as well after he dictated the race by clocking a world-leading time of 19.73s and defeating Adrian Kerr, who registered 20.09s, finishing in the second position.
Along with the gold medal, another notable thing about the American's performance at the Ed Murphey Classic was him surpassing Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo's 200m season best. Lyles made his 200m debut at the Monaco Diamond League, where he clocked 19.88s, and in the same event, Tebogo clocked 19.97s.
Let's dive into some more information about the 21-year-old's education, childhood, and more.
T'Mars McCallum's family and hometown
McCallum was born on May 20, 2004, to father, Ray McCallum, who is a college basketball coach, and mother, also named T'Mars McCallum. The American grew up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with his elder brother, Ray McCallum Jr., who is also a professional basketball player.
When did McCallum take up sport?
T'Mars McCallum has been a USATF athlete since 2012, when he was 8 years old.
T'Mars McCallum Education
T'Mars attained his high school education at the Carolina Forest High School, where he excelled in several events, including the long jump, high jump, and triple jump. Following his high school education, in his collegiate career, he was first recruited to North Carolina A&T; however, he eventually associated with the University of Tennessee.
Other achievements of T'Mars McCallum
From his high school to his collegiate career, T'Mars McCallum has had a flourishing career. He was a notable athlete at the California Forest High School, considering his state championships in several events, including the long jump, high jump, and triple jump. He bagged four individual victories and also set three state records at the SCHSL 5A meet. In his first SEC Championship meet, McCallum won a bronze medal in the 100m dash.
Adding to these, McCallum also ran a record-breaking 10.13s in the 100m dash during his high school career. During his time at the University of Tennessee, he surpassed the 10s barrier in the 100m at the USC Outdoor Open, as he clocked 9.94s. He also played a significant role in the 4x100m relay race at the aforementioned event by clocking 39.21s in the event.
Apart from this, McCallum also qualified for the US Olympic trials, where he was scheduled to compete in the 100m and 200m races; however, he fell short of competing, citing an injury.