Carolina Forest's T'Mars McCallum, Jr. is the 2021-22 Gatorade South Carolina Boys Track & Field Player of the Year. McCallum, Jr. is the first Gatorade South Carolina Boys Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Carolina Forest High School.
McCallum won four gold medals and set three state records at the Class 5A state meet this past season, leading the Panthers to a second-place finish as a team. McCallum set state records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and as the anchor on the winning 4x100-meter relay team. He also won the long jump.
McCallum's 100 time of 10.13 seconds ranked No. 1 nationally among prep competitors in 2022 at the time of his selection and No. 8 on the all-time list. His time of 20.71 in the 200 ranked No. 8 in the country this spring.
McCallum has volunteered locally with the 100 Black Men of America mentoring program, and he has donated his time to multiple community service initiatives through his church's youth department. "TJ was and is amazing," said Jacon Scheuer, head coach of St. James High School. "His athleticism is superior to everyone else on the track."
McCallum has maintained a weighted 4.23 GPA in the classroom. He remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
McCallum joins recent Gatorade South Carolina Boys Track & Field Players of the Year Jaylen Boudreaux (2020-21, Cane Bay High School), Tyler Graves (2019-20 & 2018-19, Lower Richland High School), and Keyshawn King (2017-18, Liberty High School), among the state's list of former award winners.