DURHAM, N.C.—Junior distance runner Liam Murphy (Millstone, N.J.) and fifth year Evan Addison (Collegeville, Pa.) were event winners in the 1500 meters and the 3000 meter steeplechase, respectively, to highlight several noteworthy results for Villanova in the distance events contested during the Duke Invitational at Morris Williams Stadium on Friday night. The event schedule for the Wildcats featured the invitational sections of the 800 meters and the 1500 meters along with competition in the steeplechase and the 5000 meters.
 
Murphy won the fastest heat of the 1500 meters in 3:41.64 to take over the BIG EAST lead this season and run the metric equivalent of a sub-four minute mile for the first time in his career. His previous personal best was 3:46.91 from last year's Larry Ellis Invitational. The metric equivalent of a four-minute mile is 3:42.20; Murphy has been a sub-four miler on multiple occasions during the indoor track & field season and ranks fifth in school history (collegiate season only) in the mile with a personal best time of 3:55.58.
 
Friday's race puts Murphy into 14^th place on this year's East region descending order list pending the outcomes of other meets around the country this season. He is one of three Villanova runners who posted times below 3:45 in Friday night's race. Fifth year Charlie O'Donovan (Cork, Ireland) came in seventh overall with a time of 3:43.99 and senior Sean Dolan (Ewing, N.J.) finished eighth in 3:44.17. In an earlier section of the 1500 meters sophomore Sean Donoghue (Dublin, Ireland) opened his 2023 season and came in 10^th in his section with a time of 3:47.47.
 
Addison ran the steeplechase in a Wildcats singlet for the first time after qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary in the event while competing as an undergraduate for Pittsburgh last year. He went wire-to-wire to win Friday's race in 8:50.17, marking the third time in his career that he has broken nine minutes in a race. Addison moves into seventh place on the all-time Villanova performance list in the steeplechase with Friday's performance. He ranks second in the BIG EAST and eighth in the East region as of the time he crossed the finish line.
 
Redshirt freshman Devon Comber (Ambler, Pa.) and fifth year Will Merritt (Smithsburg, Md.) wrapped up competition on Friday night by each recording PRs in the 5000 meters. Comber ran in the fastest of three sections of the 5K and finished sixth with a time of 14:05.69. The race was his first collegiate 5000 meters and he cut more than 40 seconds off his previous personal best from high school with his strong finish. Merritt placed 18^th overall in the 5K with a personal best time of 14:25.30. He crossed the finish line nearly four full seconds faster than his previous top mark (14:29.18) which had been recorded earlier this year at the indoor BIG EAST Championships.
 
The first athlete on the track for the Wildcats on Friday evening was senior middle distance runner Miller Anderson (West Hartford, Conn.) who recorded a time of 1:53.60 in the invitational section of the 800 meters. He finished sixth in his heat.
 
Villanova had only the Friday night distance events on the docket for the Duke Invitational but will continue competition on Saturday at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational in Miami.