SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Former University of Akron All-American and 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist Clayton Murphy turned in a pair of impressive performances on the opening day of the USATF (United States of America Track and Field) Outdoor National Championships on Thursday, June 22.
Competing on a track where temperatures exceeded triple digits, Murphy ran the top-qualifying time in his opening-round heat of the 800 meters crossing the line in 1:47.88. His effort was the 12th-best in a field that saw the top-two finishers in each heat plus the sixth-fastest remaining times advance.
Murphy now moves into the semifinal round of the 800 meters, which is slated to be contested at 11:11 p.