Completed Event: Track & Field versus NCAA Championships on June 12, 2025 ,
Final Score
Track & Field
vs NCAA Championships
Friday, May 25
Sacramento, CA
All Day
University of Utah
at
NCAA West Preliminary
Photo by: John P. Lozano
Murphy Third in Steeplechase at NCAA West Preliminary
5/25/2018 11:03 PM | Track & Field
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Grayson Murphy advanced to the NCAA Championships with a third-place finish in the 3,000 steeplechase to lead the Utah track and field team on the second day of the NCAA West Preliminary on Friday evening.
Murphy had a personal-best time of 9:49.50 in the event, which also lowers the school record she already holds. She finished second in her heat. It is Murphy's second-straight season competing at the NCAA Championships in the 3,000 steeplechase, she finished fifth in the event last season.
"Just an awesome night," Utah head coach Kyle Kepler said. "Grayson just got out-kicked over the last barrier by Val Constien (Colorado), who she beat at Pac-12's. Just ran really controlled and really smooth. Led from the gun, took control of the race and did exactly what you'd expect a senior to do. Her intent was not to set a PR, but to get up front and break the race open and get in the top three. When we realized she was at her PR pace she stepped on the gas a little for the last 600 meters to get under that. Her barriers were some of the best they have been all year and gaining time and distance off of those, she was very smooth. Just an awesome effort and another well-deserved trip back to Eugene. A great way to finish up an incredible career. "
Also competing was Caitlin Faust in the quarterfinals of the 800. She finished seventh in her heat with a time of 2:07.84, good for 19th overall.
"She came a little bit short, but she has had such a terrific year," Kepler said. "The race went out so fast and it was one of those things where it was a learning experience and I thought she handled it really well. Overall, her confidence level is soaring and her understanding of what she did well and where she can improve is really at a high level right now. It's hard to ask for much more than that as a coach. Awesome effort and a great year for her and finishing 19th overall is higher than she was ranked coming in."
The final Utah competitor at the NCAA West Preliminary is Jessica Sams, who will race in the 5,000 on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. PT.
"It's Jess's first trip ever here and we're all certainly excited for that. We'll see if we can run her into a new lifetime best and a great finish as well," Kepler said.
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Murphy had a personal-best time of 9:49.50 in the event, which also lowers the school record she already holds. She finished second in her heat. It is Murphy's second-straight season competing at the NCAA Championships in the 3,000 steeplechase, she finished fifth in the event last season.
"Just an awesome night," Utah head coach Kyle Kepler said. "Grayson just got out-kicked over the last barrier by Val Constien (Colorado), who she beat at Pac-12's. Just ran really controlled and really smooth. Led from the gun, took control of the race and did exactly what you'd expect a senior to do. Her intent was not to set a PR, but to get up front and break the race open and get in the top three. When we realized she was at her PR pace she stepped on the gas a little for the last 600 meters to get under that. Her barriers were some of the best they have been all year and gaining time and distance off of those, she was very smooth. Just an awesome effort and another well-deserved trip back to Eugene. A great way to finish up an incredible career. "
Also competing was Caitlin Faust in the quarterfinals of the 800. She finished seventh in her heat with a time of 2:07.84, good for 19th overall.
"She came a little bit short, but she has had such a terrific year," Kepler said. "The race went out so fast and it was one of those things where it was a learning experience and I thought she handled it really well. Overall, her confidence level is soaring and her understanding of what she did well and where she can improve is really at a high level right now. It's hard to ask for much more than that as a coach. Awesome effort and a great year for her and finishing 19th overall is higher than she was ranked coming in."
The final Utah competitor at the NCAA West Preliminary is Jessica Sams, who will race in the 5,000 on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. PT.
"It's Jess's first trip ever here and we're all certainly excited for that. We'll see if we can run her into a new lifetime best and a great finish as well," Kepler said.
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