As Samantha Murphy jogged her victory lap by the west grandstand at Hayward Field Friday night, the crowd cheered her on as if she was still a part of the Oregon team.
Despite losing her eligibility after competing four years for Oregon, Murphy is still finding ways to make an impact on her old team.
Murphy kicked past Trychelle Williams of Australia on the Bowerman Curve to win the women’s 800 meters at the Oregon Twilight Meet.
Racing unattached, Murphy finished in 2 minutes, 5.77 seconds. Williams finished nearly a second behind in 2:06.67.
The last 200 meters, Murphy had to fight through rough conditions to pull ahead.
“That wind was pretty brutal, so I know I didn’t want to be right behind the rabbit,” Murphy said. “I knew a couple of those girls were trying to run fast today. So I stuck with them, have someone block the wind, and if I had anything left, I could kick hard the last 200.”
Murphy is still getting her undergrad degree, and as a fifth-year student she was unable to retain her eligibility as a Division I athlete. Murphy is still able to train and use the Oregon facilities, and compete in these meets.
“I transferred here and I don’t want to leave. I love these meets,” Murphy said.
When Murphy’s coach at Illinois left for the University of Texas, she decided that she would explore new options. “Oregon is the place to be,” she said. “It’s an automatic fit.”
