By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The final chapter of his spectacular two-sport career at Bridgewater State University will be written this week in Waverly, Iowa.

That is where senior Conor Murtagh will take part in his fifth NCAA Division 3 Track & Field Championships, competing in the high hurdles event as the No. 3 seed.

The Walpole High School graduate is already a four-time All-America performer, earning that recognition as a junior and senior during the indoor season and a sophomore and junior in the outdoor season.

Murtagh was also the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference player of the year in men's soccer and ranks second on the Bears' all-time career list to David Son with 32 goals and 74 points.

It has been quite a ride for Murtagh, who excelled in both sports with little time off from September to May during the school year.

"I can't even imagine that it's over,'' said Murtagh. "I remember it like yesterday when I was trying out for soccer freshman year.

"I can't believe the success I've had. I knew I had something in me, but I didn't know I had all of this.''

Murtagh made his debut on the national scene as a sophomore during the 2014 outdoor season, finishing eighth at the NCAAs in the 110-meter high hurdles for All-America honors.

As a junior, Murtagh was fourth in the 60-meter hurdles at the national indoor meet and placed seventh in the 110-meter hurdles a year ago at the outdoor championships.

This past winter, Murtagh finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles and he enters the outdoor meet this week as a favorite to be an All-America once again.

Murtagh broke his own school record with a time of 14.13 seconds in the hurdles during the All-New England Championships this month. That leaves him third in the nation behind Dan Arnold of Wisconsin-Plattey (13.91) and Luke Campbell of Salisbury (14.04).

"I want to do my best to win it,'' said Murtagh, "but getting in the top three would be great.''

Murtagh, who will compete in a preliminary race Friday with the final on Saturday, said he never finished higher than fifth place in high school state meets.

At Bridgewater State, the improvement as a hurdler was drastic, especially starting in his sophomore year.

"He's been the real deal since his sophomore year,'' said Bears coach T.J. Smith. "It was weight room seriousness that really helped him. (Assistant) coach Ed Delgado really helped him with his technique, too, and that was a huge difference.''

His freshman year in both soccer and track were uneventful, but Murtagh said he saw a turnaround beginning in the fall of his sophomore year.

"I started getting good at soccer then,'' said Murtagh. "My confidence went up and I brought that to track.

"I wasn't really that good as a freshman in track. I needed to work on speed and getting stronger because I came in really skinny. That helped.''

Murtagh has stayed busy during his four years at BSU, going from soccer to track and field in November with little time off and then training all summer for soccer.

"It's not really that difficult,'' said Murtagh. "The only thing is during the fall I don't get to work on track, and during spring I don't get to work on soccer.

"But the two kind of balance each other out. Track keeps me in shape for soccer, and soccer keeps me in shape for track. I'm lucky with that.''

After taking part in the NCAAs for a final time this week, Murtagh said he hopes that won't be the end of his track career.

Murtagh, whose parents were born in Ireland, is going to try to compete for that country in the hurdles at the 2017 European Championships if his times can improve slightly.

He will venture into that next chapter after putting together a long list of impressive accomplishments in two sports at Bridgewater State.

"I didn't think I'd be doing this, not at all,'' said Murtagh of all he has achieved. "I just expected to come here, do my job.''