Malibu High senior sets school record twice in final season, capping a standout track and field journey
Wiley Murphree set the Malibu High track and field team’s discus throw record twice during his senior campaign.
The 18-year-old athlete spun his body and tossed the 1.6-kilogram discus a Sharks’ record 132 feet, 7 inches to finish fifth at the Maurice Green Invitational at Oaks Christian High School on March 22. Then on May 17, Murphree launched a 137’3” bomb during the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 Finals at Moorpark High School.
That final heave — his last throw as a high school athlete — placed him fifth out of nine competitors in the championship event, but it solidified his spot atop Malibu’s disc dynamos.
Murphree, a discus thrower since his freshman year, improved each season and had long strived to own the school record.
“I like seeing my name on that leaderboard,” he said. “It’s fun. That last throw of my high school career was my best one. I was pumped up. I was happy.”
Murphree credits another sport — karate — for his success in discus.
Having earned his second-degree black belt in February, he said the martial art known for its striking techniques and discipline instilled in him the mental focus and technical rigor needed to launch the discus with power and precision. He collected at least 14 first-place finishes across frosh/soph and varsity levels.
“I picked up discus pretty quickly because in karate, you have to be hard on yourself technically — all the little details, all the forms,” he explained. “You have to pay attention to the details. With me not being the biggest person ever, I had to rely on technique. Karate helped me find the passion for perfecting my discus technique.”
Murphree has practiced karate for nine years and currently teaches classes twice a week at Joey Escobar Karate in Malibu.
“I really love karate because when I teach someone something and they improve, they get really happy,” Murphree explained. “It makes me feel accomplished to know that I helped them.”
Murphree opened the season on March 1 with a first-place throw of 129’8” at the Marie Smith/Malibu Invitational. He then recorded another first-place toss of 122’6” in a meet against Carpinteria five days later. Murphree tallied six top finishes across Malibu’s eight final regular season meets.
He finished fifth out of 15 in the Citrus Coast League Championships. Murphree’s fourth-place throw of 124’6” in the CIF-SS Division 4 Preliminaries on May 10 propelled him to the finals, and eventually, a record.
Murphree was never intimidated by other opponents when he stood in the discus circle.
“I stay calm,” he said. “I clear my mind and focus on what I’m doing at the moment. Karate gave me athleticism in terms of mindset and strength and helped with my technique.”
Malibu head coach Mike Halualani said Murphree is “the ultimate competitor.”
“He finds a way to throw it far,” the coach noted. “He is mentally focused, mentally tough, and technically good. He is in fantastic shape.”
Murphree tried swimming, basketball, baseball, and soccer as a younger athlete. When he reached high school, his focus — aside from karate — narrowed to soccer and track and field, but ankle injuries sidelined his sprinting aspirations on the track.
Still wanting to compete, Murphree joined the track and field team alongside siblings Ranger and Tallula Murphree, both distance runners. At the first practice, then-junior Izac Stoilkovich introduced him to the discus.
“I really liked throwing heavy objects really far,” Murphree recalled. “I really enjoyed it. It gives me dopamine when I improve my throws.”
He progressed quickly, placing top-three five times as a freshman in frosh/soph competition and finishing fourth in the CCL Finals. The following year, he won the frosh/soph division title.
Murphree had four first-place finishes and finished seventh in the CIF-SS Division 4 Finals as a junior.
He also competed in shot put, high jump, the 100-meter dash, and 4x100m race. Murphree sprinted to a pair of first-place finishes in the 100 and was part of a foursome that finished first in two 4×100 relays.
He also played on the Sharks soccer team.
Murphree had nine top-three finishes in the high jump as a senior, including a second-place finish at the CCL Championships. He had eight top-three finishes in the shot put.
Murphree will attend UC Davis this fall. He’s unsure if he will ever throw a discus again, but will always fondly remember his time improving and setting a Sharks’ record.
“There is something about seeing yourself improve,” he said. “I hope I hold that record for a while, but I also hope someone improves enough to beat me.”
