Colorado University Athletics
2015 Cross Country Roster
Pierce Murphy
- Height:
- 5-8
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Hanalei, Hawaii
- High School:
- Island
2015: Murphy had one of the best individual seasons for a Buff, leading CU in all five varsity races. Murphy won the Rocky Mountain Shootout and went on to take fifth overall at NCAA Pre-Nationals. He helped the Buffs to their fifth straight Pac-12 Championship a couple weeks later, placing fourth overall. He recorded all-region honors with a seventh place finish and ended his career with a third place finish at NCAAs for his third straight All-American honor. It was the best finish for a Buff since 2003 when Dathan Ritzenhein won the meet.
2014: Murphy continued to perform well for the Buffs, helping them to their second straight NCAA title and fourth consecutive Pac-12 Championship. He started the season second at the Rocky Mountain Shootout and was 12th at pre-nationals. Murphy earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors with a seventh place finish at the league meet. He was 12th at the regional championship, which earned him all-region honors. Murphy finished the season with a 35th place finish at NCAAs for his second All-America honor.
2013: Murphy had another great season, scoring in all five varsity meets. He started the season placing fourth at the Rocky Mountain Shootout as CU’s No. 2 harrier. The next two meets, Murphy came across the line fourth for CU. He was 24th at pre-nationals and was seventh at the Pac-12 Championships, helping CU to its third straight Pac-12 team Championship. Murphy led the Buffs for the first time at regionals with a fifth-place finish and rounded out his season by placing 39th at NCAAs, helping the Buffs win the NCAA title. During the season, he was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team, All-Mountain Region and All-America teams.
2012: Murphy had an outstanding redshirt freshman season and was CU’s No. 4 runner in four of the five varsity meets. He started the season with a fourth-place finish at the Rocky Mountain Shootout. Two weeks later at pre-nats, he placed 22nd overall. Murphy helped the Buffs win their second straight Pac-12 team title, placing 14th overall. It was the only meet he did not score for the Buffs as he was the sixth harrier to finish the race. Two weeks later he scored again for the Buffs, this time with a 19th-place finish at regionals. Murphy ended the season at nationals placing 45th, just missing All-American honors by five spots; the Buffs were third overall as a team. He earned All-Pac-12 Second Team and all-region honors during the season and was honored as the 2012-13 CU Male Freshman of the Year for his season.
2011: Redshirt. Did not compete. Murphy ran the Rocky Mountain Shootout unattached and finished 18th overall.
HIGH SCHOOL: Murphy was a standout at Island School in Lihue, Hawai’i. He set a pair of state records en route to winning in the 1,500 and 3,000-meter runs at the Hawaii State Championships in 2011 and was named the Gatorade Hawai’i Track Athlete of the Year. In 2009 he was named the Gatorade Hawai’i Cross Country Athlete of the Year. Murphy owns records for the island of Kauai in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000. He was a KIG all-star for track and cross country his freshman through senior seasons.
HIGH SCHOOL BESTS: 800-meters: 2:00.67; 1,600-meters: 4:29.53; 3,200-meters: 9:14.09; 5,000-meters: 16:26.00.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Murphy is majoring in film studies.
PERSONAL: Pierce Thomas Murphy is the son of Shawn and Doreen Murphy of Hanalei, Hawai’i. He has one younger sister, Jade. He enjoys surfing in his free time.
