Elite athletes showcase their skills on Beale Street

MEMPHIS, Tenn. —There was a unique sight on Beale Street Saturday as pole vaulters took over the iconic street for the Ed Murphey Classic. The exciting event brings together world-class athletes and community members for a day of competition and celebration.

Olympic finalist and pole vaulter Marissa Kalsey says despite her impressive credentials she still gets a little nervous for big events like the Ed Murphey Classic.

“Sometimes there is pressure, but I tend to kind of step up on those scenarios,” Kalsey said. “This is one of my favorite meets. The spectators are all awesome. Like, you got the music going. You got the energy of the crowd and always good ladies to compete with, so this is one of my favorite meets of the year.”

The action started Saturday with the Beale Street Murphey Mile, a one-mile road race through iconic Memphis landmarks.

Ashley Cowsert, an athletic coordinator and former coach, has been here since 7 a.m. volunteering. She says it’s because she loves being involved in anything dealing with track and field in Memphis.

“So this would not happen without volunteers, so our volunteers are really great,” Cowsert said. “We started setting up at 7 a.m., and that’s after we had a track meet on Thursday and Friday. Over at U of M, there are a lot of pro athletes out here. It’s a really fun and exciting vibe, especially with it being an Olympic year. It’s just really exciting to do this on Beale. Nowhere else does this, so it’s really cool and special to our city.”

The world’s best pole vaulters competed in the Buck Ewing Beale Street competition. This meet is not only showcasing elite talent but also giving back to the community.

Max Paquette, the director of the event, says The Murphey Track Club has positively impacted over 500 young athletes in Memphis since the event started three years ago.

“About four years ago, Jason with the Memphis Pole Vault club and I talked about trying to come up with a different way to host the pole vault event, and we decided that Beale would be a great place to do it,” Paquette said. “So we got in touch with John Shivers here at Beale Street Tourism and he gave us the green light. We put on the event and here we are three years later.”

The event started at 11 AM, and an after-party was held at Alfred’s.

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