The day before her 4A West Regional race on Thursday at High Point Farms, Walter Johnson senior Emily Murphy received a call from James Madison University coach Dave Rinker that he was planning to come up to Maryland the next day to watch Emily run in her regional race with her MD #1 ranked squad. Lots of nerves and excitement at the same time for Murphy with her future college coach going to now watch her race in person.
Then again, what was there really to worry about as earlier in the week, Murphy had already informed Coach Rinker that she will be joining his squad verbally committing to James Madison University. One of the fastest senior distance runners in the state of Maryland with her 18:12 runner-up 5K PR performance at the Montgomery County Championships, Murphy was one of the top targeted girls distance recruits within the state for the class of 2016. She's now off the board now as she will sign with JMU this coming week and MileSplit Maryland interviewed Murphy this past week about her college decision.
Interview with Emily Murphy
How does it feel to already know where you are going to school next year by the start of November?
I'm extremely ecstatic and I can't wait to go to JMU.
What were some of the major reasons that you ultimately decided on JMU?
I liked the coach the best out of all the other colleges. I felt more comfortable with him as he reminded me of my high school coach, Tom Martin. Also the area of the Shenandoah Valley, is beautiful. It's also right near the Massanutten ski resort which is breathtaking. The scenery has a calming effect and my family can get there in 2 hours if I need them. Also the university has the program's I want to study. I couldn't be any happier and I feel so lucky.
What were some of the other schools that you were considering or visited?
I visited 3 D1 schools in Pennsylvania. They weren't Penn State or UPenn. I visited 2 other D1 schools in Virginia and again I didn't feel as comfortable as I did on JMU's campus. I visiting 2 D1 schools in North Carolina and South Carolina. My parents and I had spent a lot of time from my junior year flying and driving to many schools on the East Coast. I didn't think I would go to a school as big as JMU but I didn't get as nice of a vibe as I got from JMU, as the people there were the nicest and friendliest people on campus. In the end, I visited over 9 schools on the East Coast and ended up at the largest school that I visited, as you can make a large school feel small but you can't make a small school feel large.
Do you think being proactive with visits and research as a junior rather waiting till senior year made it easier to make an early decision and feel more sure about it as well?
Yes I felt extremely prepared going into senior year, as I knew where I wanted to go, as JMU was my top choice from the start.
What did it mean to you have Coach Rinker come watch you race on Thursday at the regional meet? What did he think of your race?
I felt very honored and grateful when he came. I was so happy when he called me the night before and told me he could come. Of course I got a bit nervous because you want to do well for your new coach, but I was super thankful that he was there. It was extremely courteous of him to drive up and give his time to come to the regionals meet.
You have had a pretty solid progression and consistent improvement in your times since your freshmen year of cross country. Do you pride yourself on having worked to make those improvements and feel like you still have a lot improvement left for college?
I'm extremely grateful for the training my coach has put me through to improving to those times. I still think there is always room for improvement. I'm excited for college running as I believe I can improve from where I am now.
What's been your most memorable moment of high school running so far?
I've made the tightest friendships with my teammates as well as other friends in the county. I've learned great lessons from pushing yourself to putting your best foot forward. Mr Martin, our high school coach, always has incredible quotes for us to memorize, to videos for us to watch. Some of the most memorable moments was our team winning states after working so hard and pushing each other to the limit. We like to say we race for each other.
What would it mean for you to go out as state champions again as a senior next weekend at Hereford?
It's something we've all been working hard for all season. Coming in as the previous state champions for the past 2 years, we want to keep the streak going for as long as possible. Of course, just because the past two years we won, doesn't mean it is handed to us this year. We have strong competition from Whitman and B-CC as well as Dulaney. All seven of us girls are working hard to do it again. As a senior, it's one last chance to give it all you got.
What advice would you give to anyone yet to have gone through the recruiting process before?
I would tell them to find schools that they can see themselves going to and to fill out recruitments your junior year. It's better to stay on top of everything than to get lost in the process. It's easy to be distracted and to stay unfocused, but by writing goals and setting dates to finish something, you become excited to know that you can do it. I would tell people to choose the school they see themselves at and the most happiest they can be.
