Maddie Murphy, cross country & track and field

Hometown: Friendswood, Texas

Major: Biology/pre-med

Team: No. 20 at NCAA Championships

No. 45 individual runner

2013 USTFCCA All-Academic Honors

2011 and 2013 SCAC Runner of the Year

No. 1 on Trinity’s record list for the women’s 5K and 6K

2013 Regional Runner of the Year

What other organizations were you a part of at Trinity?

Habitat for Humanity and Cultural Embrace Travel Trips

Why did you choose to attend Trinity?

I chose Trinity for its smaller classes, which provide a greater in-depth education, for the great community of people, and for all of the opportunities available that this university can provide for its students.

What was the highlight moment of your athletic career at Trinity?

During my sophomore year when I won the SCAC conference meet, and was named SCAC runner of the year. This was the first time I had achieved such a distinguished award in athletics.

Which race was the most heated/intense and why?

It is hard to pick one favorite team race, but I’d have to say that Pre-Nationals during my junior was one of the best. This race was really a momentum builder for the team, and we surprised ourselves by our finish when all our hard work finally started to show.

What is your favorite or funniest tradition that your team had?

Away trips are always a blast. You have to understand that runners are bit quirky and we like our pre-race rituals. During long van rides our captain Jackie Newell would provide a music playlist that featured Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, and some Taylor Swift. We would all listen to the same 20 or so songs before every race as a way to get pumped up. During these van rides bananas, peanut butter, granola, and nutella were essential snacking material. I will miss these little moments and all the laughs and good times we had during these trips.

Do you plan to continue running competitively after college?

While I don’t plan to run as competitively as I have during my time at Trinity, I would like to start trying some other distance races like the marathon or the triathlon. Running is something I will always enjoy doing, and it is a really great way to start the day and stay fit.

What are you going to miss most about playing for Trinity?

What I am going to miss most is getting to run with my friends everyday- it’s as simple as that. I’m also going to miss the running culture and team atmosphere, and being able to compete against excellent athletes from all over the nation. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had some amazing opportunities to race and I’m grateful for all the time and energy my coaches devoted to myself and my team. I came to Trinity as a fairly average runner, and were it not for the guidance and coaching of head coach Derick Lawrence along with the motivating team atmosphere of TUXC I would not have become the runner I am today. Running for Trinity made my time here, and I wouldn’t trade it one moment of it.