Murphy excited, ready for challenge at Trials

By Doug Binder, DyeStat

In 2008, high school junior Jordan Hasay had a huge moment at the Olympic Trials in Eugene when she broke the national high school record in the 1,500 meters in the semifinals and was serenaded by chants of “Come-to-Oregon” in the finals.

It’s a scene that could replay this weekend with Lake Braddock VA junior Kate Murphy, also entered in the 1,500.

Murphy knows how Hasay, with her waist-length blond ponytail, came to the Trials at 16 years old and ran 4:14.50 to break the record.

“I have heard that story and I think it’s pretty cool,” Murphy said.

Since 2008, the high school record has undergone some serious revision. Mary Cain, Alexa Efraimson and Elise Cranny all came along and ran faster. This season, Murphy (4:07.21), Christina Aragon (4:09.27), Katie Rainsberger (4:12.62) and Ella Donaghu (4:14.11) have all run faster than Hasay’s 2008 record.

Cain owns the record now at 4:04.62.

Murphy hopes to mount the kind of effort that Hasay did, survive the first two rounds, and make Sunday’s final.

“With some athletes, a lot of pressure can cause them to crack, or excel,” said Murphy, who attended Nike Elite Camp last week. “I’m the type of athlete that when I have a job to do and when I know I need to execute well, I can perform well on that day.”

Murphy has shown impressive speed in the 1,500 meters. As a sophomore she ran 4:16.98. During the indoor season, she dominated the Millrose Games High School mile by running 4:41.84. A few weeks later she ran 4:39.47 for second to Rainsberger at the New Balance Nationals Indoor.

But Murphy said she has been forced to rest enough this spring that she still feels like she has the energy to reach her goal – the Olympic Trials finals.

“I rolled my ankle five or six times (this season) and that caused me to have to take a few more easy days,” she said. “I think you can get into a zone where you go hard every day, but that (rest) really helped me with the long season.”

Last weekend, Murphy got an early chance to run on the Hayward Field track in front of the fans and rabbit for the Nike Elite Camp girls mile.

She said that when it comes time to race, she imagines feeding off the energy of the crowd.

“If the crowd in Eugene is excited, it will make me go faster,” Murphy said.

Much like 2008, when Hasay had fellow California high school star Christine Babcock in the race, Murphy won’t be alone. Christina Aragon, a recent graduate of Billings Senior in Montana, is also entered in the 1,500 and aiming to see where she measures up against the likes of Olympians Jenny Simpson and Shannon Rowbury.

Aragon, Murphy and Efraimson – a two-time U.S. Junior 1,500 champion – are all in the same qualifying heat Thursday.

Murphy also knows she has nothing to lose – and everything to gain – by living in the role of an underdog.

Regardless of the outcome, she has a chance to represent team USA at the IAAF World Junior Championships in two weeks in Poland, where she will run the 3,000 meters. And in that meet, Murphy will have a chance to reprise the role of Mary Cain, who became the first American to win the gold medal in the 3,000 at World Juniors in 2014.