Pierce Murphy: NCAA Superstar & Hometown Hero

Who Is Pierce Murphy? Pierce Murphy is a high school phenom turned NCAA superstar for Colorado University at Boulder. Over the course of the past eight years he has established himself as one of the best not only in the history of Hawai'i, but also in his college's as well. To say that you wrote your name into the record books is an amazing accomplishment. However even with his success Pierce portrays himself as one of the most humblest runners I have ever talked to.

Looking into the near future, next week Pierce will be capping off his college running career at his last track meet with the Colorado Buffs. In Eugene, Oregon Pierce will be running in the 10k, an event he has earned All-American Honors for in the past. With a personal best of 28:52.70, he will attempt to bring home a medal for one of the top three places, currently he is seeded as the third entering the event. When asked about this Pierce answered that he is not worried, but the goal is to do well and add more accolades to his collection.

Facing against the likes of Edward Cheserek, a man deemed almost unbeatable by critics, Pierce appears to be a hero for being able to toe the line with a man of such caliber. Due to the conditions facing Hawai'i's athletes, where competition is at a minimum, Pierce's upbringings were nothing short of a miracle to put him up top with the nation's best and still contend for a spot on the podium.

I admire Pierce for having future goals which mirror my own. To bring Hawai'i's level to the point where it is competitive with the rest of the country is a notable dream. The isolation of Hawai'i is an obstacle he wishes to overcome in the future to give back to the sport, and make his mark on the running community.

Honors: 3 Cross Country All-American Honors 3 Indoor Track and Field All-American Honors - 2 in the 5k - 1 in the 3k 1 Outdoor Track and Field All-American Honor - 1 in the 10k