Flashback Friday: Super Sophomore Kate Murphy Left Speechless


In 2015, Lake Braddock, Va. sophomore Kate Murphy ran out of her mind with a 62-second final quarter to blitz 4:16.98, becoming the USATF Jr. Nationals champion and 10th-fastest prep 1500m runner of all time.

One year later and the junior has lowered her personal best to 4:07.21 to rank No. 3 all-time and book a ticket to the Olympic Trials in two weeks. She'll race fellow Trials qualifiers Christina Aragon and Alexa Efraimson this weekend at the USATF Jr. Nationals; only the top two will advance to Poland for the IAAF World U20 Championships.

Read this recap from the vault about the historic run that started it all at the 2015 USATF Jr. Nationals!

Article originally published on 6/28/15

Sophomore Kate Murphy Shocks Herself With U.S. No. 10 All-Time 4:16.9 1500m

EUGENE, Ore. (June 28, 2015) - Kate Murphy nearly skipped the trip from Virginia to Oregon this weekend.

The rising junior at Lake Braddock High School was fatigued after a long season, where she most recently placed a disappointing eighth at the Brooks PR Invitational 2 Mile. Her time of 10:27.37 was off her best, but what the heck - why not travel to the West Coast to experience the Hayward Field of her favorite running idol, Jordan Hasay?

Turns out the USATF Junior National Championships was worth the trip, as Murphy kicked past Utah freshman Sarah Feeny with a blazing 62-second final quarter to finish all alone in 4:16.98 - the 10th-fastest 1500m time ever recorded by a high school runner and the second-fastest this year behind adidas Dream Mile champion Christina Aragon's No. 5 All-Time 4:16.36.

"I kind of visualized it before the race," she said, "visualizing really kicking, and I think that helps a lot."

Murphy's previous best for the mile/1600m/1500m runs was a 4:46 1600m, which she ran solo to win a local Virginia invitational meet.

"I don't even know, man, it's crazy!" she said after her stellar run. "Just all I'm thinking about is Jordan Hasay's time, 4:14, that's all I'm thinking about right now."

Murphy still has two years of prep running to catch Hasay's time - which currently ranks No. 4 on the All-Time list. Though college is still far on the horizon, she was already sporting a yellow headband and green "Oregon" t-shirt in the mixed zone after the race.

PlaceNameAffiliationTimeHeat (Pl)
1Kate MurphyUnattached4:16.981 (1)
2Sarah FeenyUtah4:21.501 (2)
3Stephanie JenksUnattached4:28.241 (3)
4Christine BendzinskiBucknell4:29.391 (4)
5Brenna CalderIndiana4:30.491 (5)
6Melanie VlasicPittsburgh4:30.871 (6)
7Taylor RoeUnattached4:31.311 (7)
8Michelle MagnaniUnattached4:31.541 (8)
9Elizabeth RamseyGreensboro Pace4:32.121 (9)
10Jacquelyn CrowFurman4:35.111 (10)
11Kylene CochranePenn4:35.591 (11)
12Lauren PerryFlorida4:36.711 (12)
13Katie MosesClemson4:42.211 (13)
Kaitlin RyanUnattachedDNF1,
Jennifer CelisOklahoma St.DNS1,