Sports Profile: Maureen Murphy

Age: 21

Home: Wellesley

Major: Psych. & Soc. Rel.

House: Eliot, class of '76

When people first meet Maureen Murphy, they hardly suspect such a soft-spoken woman could be the driving force behind the Radcliffe swim team's climb into the ranks of top notch Harvard varsity sports. But anyone who has watched Murphy in swim practice can sense her energy, strength, and enthusiasm.

Murphy's first experience on a swim team came at Wellesley High School where she swam for three years. When she entered Radcliffe, Murphy couldn't decide which sport to participate in. Because few Radcliffe swimmers had much experience at the time she decided to join the team.

A Drastic Drop

Since freshman year, Murphy's times have dropped drastically, from a 1:15 in the 100-yard freestyle three years ago to a 1:03 low this season. In swimming, where dropping a second can be a season goal, a 12-second plunge is an impressive accomplishment. In the 50-yard free-style, swimming's fastest event, Murphy's top time has fallen from 30.0 freshman year to 27.7 this season. She has consistantly placed first this fall in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle and has captured at least two first places in dual meets this season against Wheaton, UNH and URI, and in the mid-November Radcliffe Invitational.

Murphy's development paralleled the progress of the women's swim team, Murphy said last week. She found the program at first "unorganized, with very little sense of a team spirit." "No one came to practice more than three times a week and we never saw the IAB except at meets," she said. "Swimming was an experience I felt I wasn't gaining that much from so I probably didn't give' enough to it."

In the spring of 1974, Murphy, the swim team's captain, was involved in talks with Robert B. Watson '37, Director of athletics, about apportioning more time at the IAB for the women. Murphy remembers the atmosphere at the meeting as uneasy; there were still too many unresolved questions about merging the Harvard and Radcliffe athletic programs, she said.

The Harvard Athletic Department "saw us as invading their property and we saw them as monsters unwilling to give us anything," she said. The present situation which allots the women two lanes of the IAB pool for afternoon practice--resulted from the discussions. "Now people in the Athletic Department regard us as atheletes, not just pushy 'Cliffies, and we realize that they are going out of their way to help us," Murphy said.

The new arrangements paid off. In a training session before school opened last year, Murphy said last week, "There was more of a team spirit. We were improved because we had regular practice times at the IAB and an assistant coach."

Last spring Murphy played an instrumental role in the selection of a new head coach to replace Alice McCabe. She, the other co-captains, and Harvard coach Ray Essick sifted through 70 applications before choosing Stephanie Johnson.

That choice, Murphy feels, was a good one. "The team attitude is terrific," she said. "People are accomplishing a lot at practices and everyone is having a good time. The coaches [Johnson and assistant coach Cindy Richards] know so much about swimming and coaching that we have all learned a great deal."

Murphy is also happy about the understanding she said has developed between the women's and men's teams. The Harvard team, Murphy said, thinks "we're real swimmers, not just splashing around in the water." The two teams will travel to Dartmouth together this year for meets, and Murphy said she hopes this will start a future trend.

On her own commitment to swimming. Murphy is nothing but exuberant. "Sometimes," she said, "I feel like a real jock. I could never picture myself devoting so much of my life to a sport, but it's great. Knowing that physically I can do the workouts and turn in the times is really satisfying." Murphy is also on the Radcliffe water polo team and Eliot House crew.

As do many athletes, Murphy finds it hard to believe she is a star. But she is definitely pleased with her improvement after exhaustive daily sessions.

Today will bring the greatest challenge this season to Murphy and her teammates as a strong Yale squad arrives at the IAB for a 5 p.m. showdown. The Eli women excel at long events in contrast to the Radcliffe swimmers, who stand out mostly in the sprints. Since the format of this meet has been altered to cater to long distance events, the home team may have serious problems.

But then, there is Maureen Murphy, who laps away those 500s with her long powerful stroke, which may very well make the difference.