Kate Murphy Wins Dream 1500 in 4:07, Qualifies For Olympic Trials


SOMERVILLE, MA - Kate Murphy was on a mission to run the Olympic Trials qualifying standard of 4:09.5 Friday at Dilboy Stadium. She accomplished that and more when she broke away from the pack to win the adidas Dream 1500m in 4:07.21, two seconds below the Trials standard, and a full seven seconds ahead of Oregon commit Katie Rainsberger

"It feels amazing, I've been really patient over this whole season and I feel like it really came together," Murphy told FloTrack after the adidas BOOST Boston Games race. 

"I had two weeks of no races, got my legs fresh and I think all this patience and hard work has really paid off," she said. 



Murphy's time makes her the No. 3 performer in high school history and is within a second of the Olympic Games qualifying standard. The performance was also a full second faster than the pro women's race that followed. 

The Virginia-based junior from Lake Braddock High School also improved upon her previous personal best by over seven seconds. 

"I knew this was one of my last shots at getting it [the Trials standard], and I just knew I had to be really brave," Murphy said. 

She went with the pacer from the gun and hung close to her through 800m until she started to take charge and even passed the pacer before she was scheduled to drop off. 

All the while, Rainsberger was sitting on her heels. Murphy finally made her dramatic move just before the bell lap when she threw down a fast surge. By the time she crossed the finish line, Murphy was over 50m ahead of the rest of the pack and rode the momentum all the way through the tape. 

As Murphy walked around the finish line, she eagerly asked everyone around her what her winning time was. When she heard the news of her victory being well under the Trials standard, Murphy was elated and grabbed her adidas Dream Mile championship belt to celebrate.  

Murphy is the second high school athlete to notch a spot at the Trials after Christina Aragon of Billings, Montana ran 4:09 at the Portland Twilight last Sunday.

The only two high schoolers who ran faster than Murphy in high school--Mary Cain and Alexa Efraimson--turned pro before their senior years.


Complete results courtesy Adidas and Prime Time Timing

1USAKate Murphy4:07.21
50.29
-
Pl: 1
1:58.19
1:07.91
Pl: 1 
3:05.16
1:06.97
Pl: 1 
4:07.21
1:02.05
Pl: 1 
2USAKatie Rainsberger4:14.12
50.46
-
Pl: 2
1:58.76
1:08.30
Pl: 2 
3:05.93
1:07.18
Pl: 2 
4:14.12
1:08.19
Pl: 2 
3USAElla Donaghu4:18.07
50.71
-
Pl: 3
2:00.29
1:09.58
Pl: 3 
3:11.39
1:11.10
Pl: 5 -2
4:18.07
1:06.68
Pl: 3 2
4USANevada Mareno4:18.48
50.91
-
Pl: 4
2:00.53
1:09.62
Pl: 4 
3:09.57
1:09.05
Pl: 3 1
4:18.48
1:08.91
Pl: 4 -1
5USACaitlin Collier4:19.05
51.19
-
Pl: 6
2:00.78
1:09.60
Pl: 5 1
3:10.90
1:10.12
Pl: 4 1
4:19.05
1:08.15
Pl: 5 -1
6USAMadie Boreman4:23.77
51.02
-
Pl: 5
2:01.29
1:10.27
Pl: 6 -1
3:12.27
1:10.98
Pl: 6 
4:23.77
1:11.51
Pl: 6 
7USABethany Hasz4:24.10
51.64
-
Pl: 8
2:03.53
1:11.90
Pl: 9 -1
3:16.35
1:12.82
Pl: 9 
4:24.10
1:07.76
Pl: 7 2
8USAMegan Hasz4:29.39
51.45
-
Pl: 7
2:03.38
1:11.94
Pl: 8 -1
3:16.28
1:12.90
Pl: 8 
4:29.39
1:13.11
Pl: 8 
9USAMargie Cullen4:30.80
51.75
-
Pl: 9
2:03.16
1:11.41
Pl: 7 2
3:16.03
1:12.88
Pl: 7 
4:30.80
1:14.78
Pl: 9 -2
DNSUSABriana Gess