Murphy Makes her Mark
February 27, 2022
First there was Nora Murphy, then Maeve Murphy, and now there’s Oona Murphy. The WHB sophomore is now following the footsteps of her older sisters who broke running records, Oona is trying to fulfill the path her sisters left for her while keeping a healthy mindset.
A long distance runner, Oona runs cross country, spring track, winter track, and recently became a League 4 champ.
Living in a family of runners puts a lot of pressure and comparison onto Oona. Not only is she trying to break PRs and goals for herself but she also has her sister’s legacies constantly running through her mind. “I get compared by coaches, other runners, and my own family. Even if it does hurt me mentally feeling like I’ll never be as good as them, it still pushes me to be a better runner,” Oona said.
On hard running days, there is always a support team for her pushing her to do her best even when it’s difficult. This support includes teammates Gabby Wendel, Jamie Kelly, Rose Hayes, and Kiera Falvey along with her parents and her two sisters.
Kiera said, “I’ve known Oona for two years and love how she’s so passionate and positive about this sport. She is an extremely good runner but is never cocky about her goals and achievements.”
Transitioning from fall cross country to winter track, and finally spring track is a fun but challenging for Oona. “The toughest transition is transitioning from cross country to winter track because not only does the weather get colder, but the running distances shorten and are now on flat ground on the track,” she said. Going from winter to spring track, she gets to run longer distances, including the 3000 which is two miles, and the weather gets warmer.
Cross country is her favorite season. This year she received an All-County award as 10th in Class B. She attended the County dinner representing herself.
With the help of her family and teammates, Oona doesn’t see herself ever giving up on her running dream. Her goals after WHBHS are to run long distances in college and to keep achieving any goal she sets her mind to.
Doug Gilbakian • Dec 23, 2022 at 3:19 pm
Having known the Murphy Clan for a long time Oona is carrying on a grand running tradition. Seeing and hearing her name as another WHB champion is no surprise. My daughter Grace and Nora Murphy remain great friends to this day, both having been a part of the famous WHB ‘Fab Four by Four’. So much fun watching them all run including Maeve who was a great champion in her own right. Wishing Oona well in all she does as with all the Murphy’s.