CoachO wrote:
There has been a lot of talk about 4x4 splits for Murphy Regional results from a couple years ago had him at 45.95. I believe the following is his fastest verifiable (with video) split. In person I had him around 45.8. Watching the video half a dozen times and getting splits I've ranged from 45.5 to 45.9. You have to watch carefully for when he crosses the 400m start line in lane one at the top of the curve. He gets the baton a step ahead of the 400m conference champ from 2016, Tyler Brown.
45.8 is very fast for indoors. People were piling praise on the awesome Brazier for running 45.78 which everyone including TV announcers would say was 45.5. Murphy doesn't credit for speed because he's a white boy. Track and Field News has credited him with 45.3 and then last month listed a 45.8 so they are all over the map with him. It's probably best for everyone to admit the guy is fast even if he's pasty.
The most interesting thing about Murphy's performance yesterday is that he says he hasn't done any speed work since winning the 1k at the Nationals. If that's true then he likely has more than a second he can lop off by summer. On top of that is that no one really knows if he will be pursuing the 800 this summer or if his coaches feel he's ready to devote more time to the 1500. He's probably a year or so away from being able to take on handle the best at 1500 in a fast race but I have no doubt his PRs in the 1500/mile will eventually leave Centro's PRs in the dust. Centro will probably dip under 3:30 but Murphy seems to have the blend of speed and strength that past WR setters have. He may never end up winning Gold in the 1500 in a very slow race but he will run some very fast times. (Not attacking Centro's win in Rio, he beat a great field, period)
Where Brazier, Berian, and Murphy are at a disadvantage is in terms of the athletes they face who aren't tested out of season for drugs.