Multi-sport star commits to Cal Poly
By: Donovan Aird
Issue date: 7/3/08 Section: Sports
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Tynan Murray of Poway High School will partake in track and field on a scholarship, and has been invited as a walk-on in football.
"It's the right fit for me," Murray told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I really wanted to be able to do both sports, and this is the chance."
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Murray was named May 5 as a 2008 All-State Grid-Track Honor Roll member by CalHiSports, whose editor, Mark Tennis, wrote Murray "could represent a first in California history" because of his lofty accomplishments in both arenas.
Just the fifth high jumper in SDS history to clear 7 feet, he skied over 7-1 May 17 at its prelims.
That mark - matched May 31 at the state finals by sophomore Harrison Steed of San Juan Capistrano's JSerra High - was the state's best this season, and tied with three others for the eighth-best in the country.
"He's a top- three or-four guy in the country," said Jack Hoyt, Cal Poly's jumps coach. "Sometimes high jumpers get a little finicky, but he just goes out there and gets the job done."
While Hoyt was quick to point out that several Cal Poly football players have excelled in track and field as sprinters or throwers, it's the first time in his three years with the program recruiting a jumper with such a football pedigree - one undoubtedly shaped by being a nephew of San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz.
As if his exploits in his two premier sports weren't enough, Murray, named the San Diego Union-Tribune North Zone Athlete of the Year, even qualified for the SDS diving finals.
"He's not your prototypical guy," Hoyt added. "If he can go 7 (feet) for us, he'll most likely go to nationals next year, and be a top-five guy in the region."
No slouch in football, Murray completed 51.3 percent of his 150 passes for 1,065 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions en route to All-Palomar League Second Team distinction as a senior.
Additionally, he rushed for 475 yards and a touchdown on 99 carries while leading the Titans to a 12-0 campaign.
In their season-ending, 21-7 win over Rancho Buena Vista at Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 7, 2007 to claim the SDS Division I title, Murray rushed for 60 yards on 10 carries and completed 6 of 13 passes for 89 yards and a score.
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