DALLAS – WKU Track & Field senior sprinter Dartez Hamlin was awarded the Conference USA Winter Spirit of Service honors, the league announced Wednesday. The award is designed to recognize community service efforts of student-athletes in each season of sport.
Hamlin has served his hometown of El Paso in a variety of ways throughout the pandemic. During the summertime, he volunteered in a homeless shelter, serving food to men in the shelter four times a week.
While it was difficult for Hamlin to serve the Bowling Green community while at school due to COVID restrictions, he found ways to volunteer over winter break back home. He returned to the homeless shelter and served food during the pause. On Christmas Eve, Hamlin helped distribute toys to underprivileged children in the community.
The sprinter is also incredibly active within the WKU Athletics community. He serves as a representative for track & field on both the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Hamlin is set to graduate with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Social and Behavioral Sciences this spring.
On the track, Hamlin battled a variety of injuries through the 2021 indoor season. Just before the pandemic halted spring sports, the then-junior won the 2020 200-meter C-USA indoor title. He came back in 2021 and finished fourth in the same event, just days after a knee injury.
Hamlin is expected to make a recovery through the outdoor season, with the goal of training for the 2021 Olympic Trials by the end of the season.
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