New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Murphy’s run with Rams was memorable
It was a season Cheshire’s Sophie Murphy will never forget.
Not for the records she set or the accolades she’s received, but that she was able to swim with her teammates in her senior year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was definitely an adjustment,” said Murphy, who is the Register’s girls swimming area Most Valuable Player for the second time (she won it in 2018) as she led Cheshire to an 8-0 record and the Southern Connecticut Conference championship. “Swimming is such an individual sport and it’s you in a lane by yourself. A lot of swimmers use the competition to push them forward. It was hard to just be swimming virtually and not knowing if you won an event. Your meet could be Thursday and the other team’s the following Monday.”
Not having fans also was an adjustment.
“We were lucky to have a parent livestream all the meets for our parents and grandparents,” Murphy said. “For Senior Night, we were able to have senior parents come. All the freshmen were coming up to us and saying, ‘so this is what a meet is really like’.”
During the 2020 season, Murphy swam a season best time at the SCC championships in the 100 freestyle (51.44) and led off the 400 freestyle relay with a career-best and school record time of 50.86. She also won the 50 free relay at 23.68.
“In the three years I had her, she was a great teammate,” Cheshire coach Dan Modzelewski said. “Obviously, she was very fast in the freestyle races. Whenever I need a big swim, I always could count on her to bring a big one. It didn’t matter what the event was.”
Murphy has two older sisters and heard stories about the
Cheshire tradition and the legacy.
“We know the legacy is there as we hear people talking about it,” Murphy said. “It’s amazing but when we’re on the pool deck it’s the 40 crazy fun girls. We obviously take it serious, but we take the energy up.
What she’ll remember most is the Rams’ State Open title in her junior year.
“We were going for that goal the past few years and finally in my junior year, we won the whole thing,” Murphy said. “It showed our depth to win such a championship.”
On the flip side, she wishes she had a better ending to career, but she knows she’s not the only one.
“It’s bittersweet. I wish I had a better end to my senior season,” she said. “I didn’t get the
proper goodbye I thought I’d have. We wanted to go for states again, but we weren’t able to. I think we were just so grateful we were able to get in the pool. Back in May, I didn’t think it would be possible.”
Despite having no state meets this past fall, Murphy ended her Rams career with four CIAC State Open and six CIAC Class L meet titles.
Murphy considered numerous schools to swim for in college but eventually settled on Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
“I went there for a swim meet and I loved the campus. In April I wanted to have a decision before my senior year,” she said. “It’s a great academic school in a great conference.”
“That’s a big step up for her,” Modzelewski said. “The ACC recently has been one of the top conferences in the country.”
Murphy also considered Florida State and Bucknell.
“I’m thinking of studying business analytics and maybe computer science.“I don’t exactly know,’ Murphy said. “There are so many good options since it is a tech school.”