A strong final 200 meters vaulted former University of Akron runner Clayton Murphy into first place in the 800-meter run at the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., on Monday and into the Olympic Games.
“It is an honor to be on the Olympic team,” said Murphy, who is the first UA track and field athlete to earn an Olympic berth. “What an experience! What I was able to accomplish today has just not soaked in yet.”
Murphy will make his second appearance on the international stage, qualifying for the Olympics next month in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Murphy, who turned professional last month, won his heat in Saturday’s 800-meter semifinal.
Running in the seventh lane Monday at Hayward Field, Murphy turned in a time of 1:44.76 running for Team Nike, besting his personal mark. In 2015, he ran a 1:45.59 800 meters to earn his Olympic ‘A’ standard.
At the 400-meter split, Murphy was eighth in the nine-runner field with a time of 51.53. Over the next 200 meters, Murphy maintained his pace, moving up to fifth place. Over the final 200 meters, Murphy ran a leg almost a second faster than the rest of the field to take first place.
Murphy, 21, will be joined by Boris Berian and Charles Jock in representing the United States in the Olympics. Berian was second at 1:44.92 and Jock finished third with a time of 1:45.48.
Murphy, who is from New Paris, Ohio, won gold in the 800 in the 2015 Pan-American Games. He also won the NCAA indoor 800-meter championship this year as a junior, and he won the 1,500-meter title at the NCAA outdoor meet on June 10, also in Eugene, Ore.
“Wow! What a great thing for Clayton,” said UA track and field coach Dennis Mitchell. “What a great honor for Akron. Clayton ran a very smart well thought-out race. He did everything according to plan. However, you can’t just plan your way to a victory. You have to have speed and mostly a big heart. His heart is enormous!
“Big huge props to coach [Lee] LaBadie. He is the mastermind. He may be the best middle distance coach in the country.”
Murphy’s former UA teammate Shawn Barber is likely to represent Canada in Brazil in the pole vault. Barber, the top-ranked Canadian pole vaulter and NCAA champion, will compete in Canada’s Olympic Trials next week.