The University of Akron Athletics
Murphy Named to Post-NCAA Bowerman Watch List
March 17 | Track & Field
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THE BOWERMAN MEN'S WATCH LIST - POST-NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP RELEASE
NEW ORLEANS, La. – On the heels of becoming the first NCAA Champion in a running event in Akron track and field program history, junior Clayton Murphy (New Paris, Ohio) was among those included on the 10-member Post-NCAA Indoor Championship Watch List for The Bowerman Award, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced.
Perform has been an understatement for Murphy this season as established school records in the mile and 800 meters and as part of Mid-American Conference Champion 4x400 and Distance Medley relay squads. He was unbeaten in the mile and captured titles in four of five races in the 800 meters during the indoor campaign.
He capped his indoor season in style capturing his first NCAA title crossing the line in the 800-meter final in a facility-record 1:46.68 at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship in Birmingham, Ala.
"Clayton may be the best middle-distance runner in the country," Akron head coach Dennis Mitchell commented. "It is an honor for Akron to have separate athletes on the list two years straight."
Murphy is the second athlete in Mid-American Conference history to be named to the 10-person list for the men or women joining former teammate Shawn Barber, who was a finalist for the award in 2015. The Bowerman Trophy, which was first awarded in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track and field athletes in the nation.
Oregon's Jenna Prandini and Florida's Marquis Dendy are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman.
Past winners include Olympic gold medalist, four-time World Champion and decathlon world-record holder Ashton Eaton (2010), 10,000-meter Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp (2009), 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters Jenny Simpson (2009), 2013 100-meter hurdles World Champion Brianna Rollins (2013) as well as 2012 Olympic high jump bronze medalist and 2015 World Champion Derek Drouin (2013).
Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership in the USTFCCCA's predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies.
For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.
The Bowerman Post-NCAA Indoor Championship Men's Watch List
Devon Allen, So. (R), Hurdles, Oregon
Ronnie Baker, Jr., TCU, Sprints
Donavan Brazier, Fr., Texas A&M, Mid-Distance
Edward Cheserek, Jr., Oregon, Distance
Ryan Crouser, Sr., Texas, Throws
Myles Hunter, Jr., Minnesota State, Hurdles
Jarrion Lawson, Sr., Arkansas, Jumps
Nick Miller, Sr., Oklahoma State, Throws
Clayton Murphy, Jr., Akron, Mid-Distance
Zach Ziemek, Sr., Wisconsin, Combined Events
Also receiving votes: Zack Bilderback, Texas; Jake Blankenship, Tennessee; Cameron Burrell, Houston; Christian Coleman, Tennessee; Alex Young, Southeastern Louisiana
Players Mentioned
