AREA U.S. TRACK TRIALS PARTICIPANTS
Antonio Blanks: Ohio State/Dunbar H.S., 400 hurdles.
Jill Cobb: SW Ohio Track Club, race walk.
Carsyn Koch: Cedarville University, 800.
Katie Landwehr: Michigan State/Tippecanoe H.S, steeplechase.
Cassandra Lloyd: Unattached/Wright State/Spg. South H.S., 100 hurdles.
Chantae McMillan: Kettering resident, heptathlon.
Clayton Murphy: Nike/Akron/Tri-Village H.S., 800, first (1:44.76).
Joel Pfahler: unattached, race walk.
Sam Prakel: Oregon/Versailles H.S., 1500.
Jeff See: Asics Furman Elite, Ohio State/Middletown H.S., 5000.
Darien Thornton: Grand Valley State/Wayne H.S., hammer throw.
It was fitting Dave Wottle anointed Clayton Murphy as the leader of a U.S. middle distance pack that often trails the world’s best. Wottle was the last U.S. runner to win Olympic gold in the 800 meters, way back in 1972.
“We talked about everything from track to food and the history of track and field,” said Murphy, who huddled with Wottle after winning the two-lap race with a steady surge during Monday’s U.S. Olympic Trials at the famed University of Oregon Hayward Field in Eugene.
RELATED: NBC Sports video of Murphy’s 800 win
“I got the honor of meeting Dave and he put the medal around my neck. It was cool to spend that time with him.”
RELATED: Murphy wins NCAA 1500
The pride of New Madison in Darke County, a small Indiana-border town, and a Tri-Village High School alum, Murphy is an emerging middle distance force after winning in a personal-best 1 minute, 44 seconds and 76 tenths.
He’ll join runner-up Boris Berian (1:44.92) and third-place finisher Charles Jock (1:45.48) in representing the U.S. in the event at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad later this summer at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Trailing throughout, Murphy seemingly unloaded an unmatched finishing kick on the final straight to overtake Jock and finally Berian. Actually, he was maintaining nearly the same pace he had run the first lap.
That was the same tactic Wottle, topped with his signature golf hat, used to stun the Munich field in 1972 after ending the opening lap in last.
“My last three 200s were progressively slower, but only a tenth of a second,” Murphy said. “It looked like I was running way faster than before, but really I was just maintaining and everyone else was fading. It’s an optical illusion-type deal where it looks like I’m into an all-out sprint.”
Duplicating that result at Rio will be a challenge. U.S. runner Donovan Brazier (1:43.55) owns the world’s third-best time but failed to advance to Monday’s final. Berian’s best (1:44.20) also places him among the top 10. Six Kenyans, traditionally among the world’s best distance runners, are among the top 10.
Murphy, 21, has high-end international experience. He won the Pan Am Games 800 and advanced to the semifinals of the World Championships at Beijing, China, in 2015. But there’s a lot of catching up to do to match the world’s best.
Johnny Gray, a virtual 800 methuselah standout and four-time Olympian (1984-96), set the U.S. record of 1:42.60 in 1985. He was the last U.S. runner to medal in the Olympics at that distance, winning bronze at Barcelona in 1992.
West Milton native Bob Schul (5,000) and Billy Mills (10,000) were the last U.S. runners to win Olympic gold in their specialties, both in 1964 at Tokyo. Frank Shorter was the last U.S. men’s marathoner to win gold, also in 1972.
None of that bygone U.S. track and field history has been lost on Murphy.
“I don’t know if we’re tired of hearing that kind of deal that America needs to step up in the middle distance,” said Murphy, who signed with Nike last week and will forgo his remaining amateur eligibility at Akron University. “I think American middle distance is ready to take that step this year in Rio.
“Having that kind of young group and fresh guys going to the Olympics is rejuvenating, especially in the 800. You have three guys who are hungry for that experience for the first time.”
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