MADISON- As a junior a year ago John Murray placed second in the state in the Pentathlon and third in the Decathlon. Since those placings, the Bob Jones superb track athlete was determined to win both events as a senior and with his recent win at the Pentathlon State Championship he is halfway to his goals as what many consider the best athlete at the Class 7A school.

“I think I have a chance at the decathlon during the outdoor track season as I’ve put in lots of hard work,” said Murray, son of Grant and Lisa Murray.

The brilliant talent of Murray was enough to win the state Pentathlon by 581 points over his nearest competitor and his 3,772 points in the event is a state record. His performance also lifted him to be ranked No. 1 in the country and he will participate in the New Balance Nationals in March. There, Murray will be against the best in the country and he feels he has the ability to compete.

The Pentathlon is made up of five events- 60-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and the 1,000-meter run. At the state competition, Murray won four of the five events, including personal best performances, to capture the crown as Alabama’s best. His high jump result- 6-feet, 5.5-inches, his long jump- 21-feet, 6.75-inches, his hot put- 45-feet, 3.75-inches, 60m hurdles- 8.22-seconds, 1000m- 3-minutes, 2.64-seconds.

In the recently completed AHSAA Indoor Track State Meet, Murray was fourth in the 60m hurdles and seventh in the long jump. His overall track events include the high jump and 400m.

Murray played football in local programs beginning in Pop Warner and played through his sophomore year at Bob Jones. He also played recreational baseball and basketball and most recently his 18-under team finished second in the season-ending youth basketball tournament held at Dublin Memorial Park. He is an avid swimmer and golfer, but prefers playing X-Box with a variety of games. He has taken piano lessons for 10 years and is looking to attend college to study aerospace engineering and partake in the collegiate version of the Decathlon, which features the pole vault, high jump, long jump, javelin, shot put, 110-m hurdles and 100, 400 and 1,500-m runs.

He has narrowed his choices of college to Auburn and Purdue. He has a 4.4 grade point average, which puts him at No. 70 among the 430 students in his senior class.

“After I missed the cuts in basketball and baseball in the eighth grade my mother suggested I try track as she was a hurdler while in college,” said Murray. “I feel as though I was just average in middle school. One day I just missed the 300-m hurdles by one-tenth of a second and that fact hit me to be better. It was then I fell in love with the sport.”

Murray has had a bevy of sports related injuries and those nagging type of discomforts that can spell trouble for even the best athletes. He visited Body Creations Sports Performance and Fitness where it was determined he had a slight pelvic tilt. He went through a battery of workouts, which he continues to do twice a week, and has weekly physical therapy at Legacy Physical Therapy to help in realigning his hips and assist in fighting possible hamstring injuries.

“The workouts and physical therapy have made a difference in my performances as the results are showing the expertise help has made a huge impact for me,” said Murray.

At home, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Murray is always pursuing perfection in his sport as he’s been known to jump or high-step over objects around the house or outside in the yard.

Murray credits the coaches at Bob Jones, the track coach at UAH and others who have helped him to overcome any obstacles in his efforts to obtain the highest level of performance the 18-year old can muster.

“We knew when he was playing pee wee football running was in his future as he was always the fastest kid on the team,” said Grant Murray. “Track is where his heart is.”

Murray’s mental state is also in gear as he has stopped many fast foods and greasy type foods in his diet. He’s also spiritual as he added, “I pray before each event as that helps get my mind focused.”

As he gears up for the outdoor season of high school track and the indoor New Balance Nationals, Murray is indubitably focused on continuing his quest to participate on the next level and fulfill his senior year goals.