The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Murphy Captures Second NCAA Title Winning 1,500M at NCAA Track and Field Championships
June 10 | Track & Field
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FRIDAY RESULTS | FRIDAY RESULTS (PDF) | FRIDAY PHOTO GALLERY | CLAYTON MURPHY COMMENTS | SATURDAY LIVE VIDEO
THURSDAY RESULTS | THURSDAY RESULTS (PDF) | THURSDAY PHOTO GALLERY | DENNIS MITCHELL COMMENTS (6/9) | CAROLINE HASSE COMMENTS (6/9) | ALEX MCCUNE COMMENTS (6/9) | WEDNESDAY RESULTS | WEDNESDAY RESULTS (PDF) | WEDNESDAY PHOTO GALLERY | CLAYTON MURPHY COMMENTS (6/8) | DENNIS MITCHELL COMMENTS (6/8) | LIVE STATS | MEN'S QUALIFYING LIST | WOMEN'S QUALIFYING LIST | SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (PDF) | NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL
EUGENE, Ore. – University of Akron junior Clayton Murphy (New Paris, Ohio) capped a brilliant outdoor campaign making a record-setting statement capturing his second NCAA title winning the 1,500 meters on the third day of the NCAA Track and Field Championships on Friday, June 10, to lead the Zips' efforts at historic Hayward Field.
Sparked by his patented finishing kick, Murphy outraced his competitors over the final 100 meters to cross the line in a school-record time of 3:36.38, to better his closest competitor by nearly two seconds. The effort represented the third-fastest time in NCAA Championship history and quickest since 1987. The time also marked the ninth-fastest effort in collegiate history and the best time in the 1,500 meters by a United States runner this season.
"I expected a faster pace, I don't know if it was that fast," said Murphy. "I had a goal of getting to 1,200M, no matter how I felt. I had confidence in the last 100 and I tried to move on the backstretch and close the gap so I didn't have one over the last 100 meters."
"An exciting day for Clayton," Akron head coach Dennis Mitchell commented. "It was incredible for him going 3:36. They pushed the pace against a tough wind, but he was able to hang until he could use his booster rocket kick."
Murphy added to the tradition of the Zips' track and field program with his triumph, adding Akron's eight individual national championship.
Christi Smith made history in 2000 when she became the first national champion in school history, capturing gold in the heptathlon. Stevi Large was the next to accomplish the feat, winning the women's hammer throw in 2009. Annika Roloff captured the women's pole vault in 2014. Shawn Barber became the school's first male champion claiming the indoor pole vault title in 2014 before again earning the crown at the 2015 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Murphy became Akron's first-ever NCAA champion in a running event winning the 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championship in March.
Freshmen Curtis Richardson (Blacklick, Ohio) and Cody Stine (Shelby, Ohio) each finished 13th in the men's high jump surpassing 6-10.25 (2.09m) to garner second-team All-America accolades for the first time in their respective careers.
Junior Phil Jagers (Solon, Ohio) was unable to record a qualifying mark in the preliminary round to advance to the finals of the men's discus as each of his three attempts was recorded as fouls.
Sophomore Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) opened the two-day, seven-event heptathlon for the Zips posting a cumulative score of 3,270 to stand in 17th place after four events.
She registered the fifth-best 100-meter hurdle time in program history, 13.91, placing 15th in the event.
Siefring followed jumping 5-4.25 (1.63m) in the high jump to finish 19th, before recording a throw of 37-3 (11.35m) to place 16th in the shot put.
Siefring capped her day with her best finish (9th) in the 200 meters, crossing the line in 24.97.
The heptathlon concludes on Saturday, June 11, with the final three events in the long jump (2:30 p.m. ET), javelin (3:45 p.m. ET) and 800 meters (8:13 p.m. ET).
"It was nice to see our two freshmen high jumpers make it as second-team All-Americans," said Mitchell. "Unfortunately it was a tough one today for Phil (Jagers). One more day for the Zips, it will be exciting to see how Claudia (Garcia Jou) and Jackie (Siefring) finish."
The final day of the NCAA Championship will also see senior Claudia Garcia Jou (Barcelona, Spain) participate in the women's high jump at 6 p.m. ET.
HEPTATHLON: Jackie Siefring (17th-3,270); 100-Meter Hurdles: Siefring (15th-13.91); High Jump: Siefring (19th-5-4.25/1.63m); Shot Put: Siefring (16th-37-3/11.35m); 200 Meters: Siefring (9th-24.97)
FRIDAY MEN'S FINALS:
1,500 Meters: Clayton Murphy (1st-3:36.38); High Jump: Curtis Richardson (13th-6-10.25/2.09m), Cody Stine (13th-6-10.25/2.09m); Discus: Phil Jagers (DNF-FOUL)
THURSDAY WOMEN'S FINALS:
Pole Vault: Caroline Hasse (7th-13-9.25/4.20m)
DECATHLON: Alex McCune (21st-6.575); 100 Meters: McCune (19th-11.23); Long Jump: McCune (16th-22-6.50/6.87m); Shot Put: McCune (5th-46-9/14.25m); High Jump: McCune (18th-6-2.25/1.89m); 400 Meters: McCune (23rd-52.49); 110-Meter Hurdles: McCune (16th-14.99); Discus: McCune (6th-140-7/42.85m); Pole Vault: McCune (DNF-NH); Javelin: McCune (9th-188-0/57.30m); 1,500 Meters: McCune (21st-4:56.17)
WEDNESDAY MEN'S PRELIMINARIES:
1,500 Meters: Clayton Murphy (12th-3:49.03)
WEDNESDAY MEN'S FINALS:
Pole Vault: Matt Rowland (20th-16-10.75/5.15m); Long Jump: Terrell McClain (10th-24-6.50/7.48m), Joe Oduho (15th-24-3.75/7.41m)
