The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10.

MEMPHIS, Mo. — Kwyn Hamlin signed a letter of intent for more than just herself.

By signing with the University of Central Missouri to continue her track and field career, Hamlin is continuing a family tradition. Her grandfather, Charley Hamlin, brought home five state medals for Knox County in 1961.

Charley will not get to see Kwyn live out her college track and field dreams, though. The Hamlin family lost Charley to cancer in August 2020.

“To honor him and carry on the Hamlin legacy, I guess you could say, meant a lot because he helped me a lot with track,” Kwyn Hamlin said. 

Even as Charley fought cancer, he was still there for Kwyn.

“When he was really sick, he would still come to all my track meets in my seventh and eighth grade year,” Kwyn Hamlin said.

Charley was also there in spirit with Kwyn, a six-time state qualifier in her career at Scotland County and state medalist in two events this spring, when she signed with UCM on January 19 — Charley’s birthday.

“It means everything,” Hamlin said of carrying on her grandfather’s legacy.

Hamlin will lace up her high tops one more time before beginning her college track career. Hamlin will represent Scotland County for the Missouri girls in the fourth annual Muddy River Showcase. Hamlin discussed her future as a physical therapist, music, pickleball, and more with Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey in this Showcase Q&A.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about playing in the Muddy River Showcase?

A: Definitely being able to lace up the shoes one last time before college and playing with and against some of the best girls in the area.

Q: You’re going to UCM for track. What events are you going to be participating in there?

A: We talked about high jump and some sprints, maybe some different new events.

Q: What are you doing this summer to prepare for what lies ahead?

A: I’m in contact with my college coach a lot. I went and performed in the all-star track meet not too long ago, and he said that he was watching it. He sends workouts and all that. I’ve just been going into the weight room and lifting, getting ready for the college experience.

Q: Will one last time on the basketball court be like one last hoorah? It’s not for a district title or anything. You’re just out there hooping.

A: Yeah, I’m really excited. Basketball was definitely something I wanted to go to college for, but when it came down to it, I was enjoying track more than basketball. It was close, though. I had a few offers for basketball, but UCM really stuck out to me, so I decided to keep doing track.

Q: Did you ever think about doing both basketball and track?

A: I did, but I’m studying kinesiology, so I’ll need to focus more on my studies.

Q: What made you want to get into kinesiology?

A: I have awful ankles. It’s like an inside joke. We have a Barstool page for our school, and I get posted a lot just because of how bad my ankles are. I spend a lot of time in physical therapy because of them, so I want to be able to help other people who have also struggled. Not being able to play a sport is really hard on someone mentally and physically, so I want to help people get back to what they want to do.

Q: Do you have to do anything different as you’re preparing for a meet or a game because of your ankles? Do you wear a brace?

A: I do in basketball. I wear two ankle braces playing basketball, but not during track. I think it’s the defensive slides and things like that that are hard on my ankles. You’d think high jump would be hard on them but it’s really not.

Q: Do you have any crazy ankle injury stories?

A: I was playing AAU basketball this summer, and I had to have my right foot in a boot. I got hurt at the beginning of July. Then softball came along, and I slid into second base, and I rolled my left ankle, so I was in a boot and then I had a brace on my left ankle.

Q: What other hobbies do you have outside of track, basketball, softball, and school?

A: I love pickleball. My friends and I play pickleball all the time. It’s just so fun. We have really nice courts at our town park, so my friends go up there and have little tournaments. I go golfing a little bit here and there, too.

Q: Do you know what your rating is?

A: No, we just play. There are some old people out there every once in a while, and they get very serious.

Q: How long have you been playing pickleball?

A: Since about last July, but then I hurt my ankle, so I had to sit out for a while.

Q: Have you played pickleball much this summer?

A: It hasn’t really been great weather, so maybe like three or four times. I play with my grandpa a lot. He’s a big pickleball guy, but like I said, the older people always take it very seriously, so it’s hard to play with them.

Q: What’s your favorite dessert?

A: Probably apple pie. That’s always so good.

Q: Who’s your favorite musical artist?

A: Probably Usher. I like the 2010s rap. Usher or Drake. I was really big on the Kendrick Lamar-Drake drama there for a while. I probably changed sides like every week.

Q: Did you end up on Drake’s side?

A: Kind of. I like his old music more than Kendrick, but I like Kendrick’s new music more than Drake’s.

Q: So, you were on both sides then?

A: Yeah. The Super Bowl halftime performance by Kendrick kind of sealed it, though. Name dropping at the Super Bowl is crazy.

Q: Do you have a playlist or a few songs that you listen to before a meet or a game?

A: Not really a playlist. It kind of depends. I’ll just come across a song and be like man, “This is really good.” Something by Drake, we’ll just say that.

Q: Is there anything else people should know about Kwyn Hamlin?

A: I hate to lose. I might be the biggest sore loser on the planet. I hate losing. I will do anything in my power not to lose.

Check out more of the Muddy River Showcase Q&As at the links below:

Illini West’s Reagan Reed

Payson Seymour’s Blake Schwartz

South Shelby’s Callie McWilliams

Canton’s Tyler Frazier

West Hancock’s Lewis Siegfried

Quincy Notre Dame’s Alex Dance

Mendon Unity’s Chloe Shaffer

Western’s Casen Tobias

Palmyra’s Clare Williams

Payson Seymour’s Ella Archer

Palmyra’s Mason Smith