Pole vaulting on Beale Street? It happened for the first time at the Ed Murphey Classic
For one night on Beale Street, clearing the bar took center stage over going to the bar.
The historic downtown entertainment district was turned into a pole vaulting venue for 17 professional pole vaulters Saturday as it hosted the first street pole vault in the state of Tennessee as part of this year's Ed Murphey Classic.
The professional track and field meet has grown in size and prestige since it began six years ago, but this was a spectacle unlike anything those who crowded the street in front of Alfred's had seen before.
“This is just truly awesome,” said Sundi Puckett, the mother of University of Memphis pole vaulter Evan Puckett. “The whole energy here is just next level. The fact that it is downtown brings a different feel and this is one of the most exciting sports ever.”
The supporters of the event cheered for the athletes at the same volume from the time they were simply practicing on the bright blue runway until the final attempt was made.
Bridget Williams, ninth-ranked pole vaulter in the world, won the women's competition, and Olympian Matt Ludwig was the men's winner.
Even the athletes were in a bit of awe as they took in where they were jumping as high as 17 feet this year.
“Usually I’m in a very professional stadium and there’s a bunch of rules and bylaws,” said Chris Nilsen, a silver medalist during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. “I like how this is a freebie and a chance to just hang out. This is a different vibe and relaxing competition. This entire season has been super intense and really hard to get through. I’m excited to have fun and exhale.”
The original plan for the pole vaulting spectacle included having it at the University of Memphis, along with the rest of the events during this year's Ed Murphey Classic. After deciding to not hold it at the university, meet coordinator Max Paquette explored having the event at Railgarten. He decided to go with Beale Street instead due to overhanging wires, cables and lack of space.
“I always have thought about Beale Street, but I just thought it would be an impossible thing to try to do," Paquette said, "just because it’s such a busy street and there’s so much going on. I just wasn’t quite sure how we were going to make it work.”
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To make it reality, Paquette teamed up with soccer player J.J. Greer, Eddie Murphey Jr. and Director of the Beale Street Historic District Jon Shivers.
After this, Paquette knew he had to get American Track League founder Paul Doyle involved. Doyle flew in from Atlanta earlier in the summer and the duo went to Beale Street one afternoon with surveying equipment.
One of Paquette’s main concerns was ensuring the surfaces in front of Alfred’s were legal and suitable for a portable runway. Paquette explained if the appropriate surfaces were not used that there was a possibility the scores would not count.
Paquette and his partners also made sure the athletes and attendees had the best of the best. The portable runway was shipped from Texas to Tennessee specifically for the event.
Preparation for the event began at 7 a.m. Saturday when Memphis Vault Club owner Jason Vogt, brought in a crew to prepare the street for what was to come.
All parties involved with planning also felt it was vital to have ESPN involved and went through proper procedures to ensure ESPN cameras were placed on surrounding rooftops to capture the moment.
Along with other entertainment, in true Memphis fashion, there was a DJ and emcee there to explain this experience nobody assembled had ever felt before.
Alexis Davis is a sports reporting intern for the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Contact her at alexis.davis@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ed Murphey Classic brings pole vaulting to Beale Street in Memphis
