Akron's Clayton Murphy Launches a Professional Career
Courtesy of Akron's Sport Information Department
AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron middle-distance runner Clayton Murphy (New Paris, Ohio) has announced he will forgo his final year of eligibility and turn professional after capturing the 1,500 meter title at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, June 10 in Eugene, Ore.
"Turning professional was a very tough decision I made following the NCAA Championships," Murphy commented. "I decided to take the next step in my running career because I feel I am ready to compete against some of the best in the world in every race. I'm staying in Akron with Coach LaBadie to train and I will be finishing my finance degree in May. I want to thank the entire Akron family for everything I have been a part of for the last three years. I'm very excited about what the future has to hold, but it will be tough knowing I will never wear an Akron jersey again. Thank you to the Akron Community and as always Go Zips!"
Murphy has signed a professional contract and will be represented by the Doyle Management Group.
Murphy will continue work towards completing his degree this year while training at the University of Akron in preparation for upcoming Olympic Trials with the hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"Clayton has done so much for our program," said Akron head track and field coach Dennis Mitchell. "He has done it all as a collegiate athlete and has been a big part of many of the landmark accomplishments of this program over the last few years. He is very deserving of being rewarded for his exceptional efforts and skill. We wish him good luck as he takes his career to the highest levels in this sport. In his new high-profile role he will continue to be a big part of the Akron family. He will always be known as an Akron Zip."
Sparked by his patented finishing kick, Murphy outraced his competitors over the final 100 meters of the 1,500 meter final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, June 10, to cross the line in a school-record time of 3:36.38, to better his closest competitor by nearly two seconds. The NCAA title was the second in Murphy's career after winning the 800-meter crown at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, and the eighth for a Zip in program history.
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 second-best time in the 1,500 meters by a United States runner this season.
In his first professional race on Sunday, June 12, Murphy narrowly missed achieving the Olympic standard (3:36.20) in the 1,500 meters, winning at the Portland Track Festival in a time of 3:36.23, just three one-hundredths of a second shy of the automatic Olympic mark.
Murphy has already achieved the qualifying standard in the 800 meters for the Olympic Trials, which will be held July 1-10, in Eugene, Ore. He may choose to pursue the 1,500-meter standard prior to the opening of Olympic Trials in order to compete for a berth in one or both of the events.
