Rylee Hampton has a gift of remaining calm before, during and after her races. Her ability to compete at a high level while remaining humble is remarkable. When most runners are competing with end-season goals in mind, Hampton’s motto is simply, “One goal at a time.”
Before Hampton took to the track, she was a competitive gymnast.
“I competed competitively in gymnastics from the time I was really little to sixth grade, then I stopped that because it was a lot,” said Hampton.
After experiencing burnout from gymnastics, Hampton tried her luck with school sports, volleyball and track. In the seventh grade, while at Cook Middle School, Hampton began to shine.
“My seventh grade year I broke the district record in the 300-meter hurdles. That’s when I realized I’m pretty good at this, let me keep with it,” said Hampton.
Hampton continued getting better and the summer of her freshman year she joined Track Houston to further her progression.
During her time at Cy Ridge High School, in her freshman year, Hampton took part in both the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles. Hampton made it to state in the 100-meter hurdles and place fifth.
During Hampton’s sophomore year she continued showing signs of growth, as she returned to state and placed third in the 100-meter hurdles and fifth in the 300-meter hurdles.
In her junior year, Hampton returned to state for a third straight year, this time placing seventh in the 300-meter hurdles, but taking first place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.64.
“It still hasn’t hit me yet. Winning a gold medal has been a goal that I’ve been wanting to accomplish for so long and I’ve finally been able to, so it means a lot,” said Hampton.
“She’s a mixture of power and finesse,” said Hampton’s trainer Marlon Odom. “She’s gotten to the point where she understands structurally, how to navigate a race. She knows she has to push out her first four steps, accelerate her last four right before the first hurdle, and take her speed through hurdle three. After that, she’s just trying to get that three-step pattern established for the remainder of the race.”
Hampton’s fastest time in the 100-meter hurdles is 13.18 which ranks her #1 in the world for U18. However, her humbleness won’t allow her to get overly confident.
“It feels amazing to be ranked, but I know that without God none of this would be possible. I give all glory to him and thank him for everything because I’m nothing without him,” said Hampton.
After winning state her junior year, Hampton decided to take time off and let her body rest, rather than compete immediately in summer track. In July, she attended the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. This race consisted of many big name runners. Hampton ran the 100-meter hurdles and placed third behind Myla Greene, an incoming freshman at the University of Tennessee, who took second with a time of 13.10, and Aaliyah McCormick, an incoming sophomore at the University of Oregon, who took first with a time of 13.02.
Hampton is now focusing on relaxing and getting ready for recruiting. In college, she hopes to continue running the 100-meter hurdles and sprints while majoring in psychology.
“I think psychology is an interesting topic to study. I hope to become a sports psychologist when I get older because I see a lot of the mental strain that track or any other sports have,” said Hampton.
Rylee Hampton
Class: 2024
Twitter: @hampton_rylee
IG: @ryleehamptonn
Races: 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles?
Height & weight: 5-feet-7, 160 pounds
Runners she studies: Sydney McLaughlin
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artists: Tory Lanez, Snoh Aalegra
Favorite subject: History
Hobbies: Hang out with friends, watch movies, go out to eat
Shout-outs: God, parents, Coach Marlin, Coach Will, teammates and friends
