By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Nothing about Elkhorn Area High School swimmer Paige Murphy says “freshman.” Be glad she is a freshman, though, because you get three more years to observe her exploits in the pool.
As a freshman, Murphy finished eighth in the 100-yard backstroke Nov. 13 in the WIAA Division 2 Girls State Swimming and Diving Meet at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison. She finished in Murphy finished in 59.96 seconds.
Murphy is the only member of the Elks’ squad to advance to state this season. Murphy qualified for state Nov. 7 at a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet at Cudahy High School. Murphy finished third in the backstroke in 59.56 seconds.
“It was my first year,” Murphy said. “I guess I’m alright with it. I know I can do much better. It was hard to get used to it after swimming club for so long and having to go do something different.
“I’m pretty much over it. I’m pretty happy with it.”
Murphy is the 2015 Elkhorn Independent Female Athlete of the Year. The honor is not at the expense of the other young women who work tirelessly and wear the Elks’ purple and gold with pride. This year, though, Murphy is the standard against which those young women are measured.
Chat long with Murphy and one of the first attributes you notice is candor backed by confidence and fueled with a deep, competitive burn. She expected success in high school, and expected it would come early.
“I kind of went into the high school season knowing I was going to make state,” Murphy said. “I guess my other goal was to try and get a relay to go, or some other people as well.”
Early in the season Murphy’s times in the backstroke bested those posted by 2014’s Division 2 state qualifiers.
“There’s never a “For sure” in high school swimming, but nine times out of 10 it will be faster than it was last year,” Elks coach Jamie Richardson said of state qualifying times.
If Murphy sounds disappointed with her performance at state, it is her competitive drive showing. It is an asset, both in high school swimming and in her club swimming endeavors with the Lake Geneva Swim Club.
Swimming is more competitive than many realize. Swimmers compete against each other, but also compete against the clock, the water and whatever demons they can’t drive from their head.
“She’s very competitive in the water,” said Frank Scott, head coach at the Lake Geneva Swim Club. “When she wants to do well she pretty much gets the job done, and that’s not a common characteristic. She’s got strong attributes, in terms of drive and focus, especially for a freshman in high school.”
Murphy’s excellence as an athlete is not limited to swimming. She will compete in track and field this spring. Murphy won conference titles in the high jump and 400 and also competed on a conference title-winning relay while in middle school.
Murphy previously competed in ski racing, but stopped because of swimming. She occasionally helps her father, Matt, teach lessons at Alpine Valley.
For the moment, her future looks strongest in swimming. She’s swum for fun all of her life and has swum competitively for seven years. Both Richardson and Scott think her future as a swimmer is bright.
“She has the talent and the drive,” Richardson said. “She swims during the offseason. Right after the season she was back in the water swimming with her club team.
“A lot of swimming is putting in that extra time. It’s what you do during the offseason.”
