Only Gardner-area girls indoor track athlete to take first in states wins TGN honors

Two weeks ago, The Gardner News put out a vote to let readers have a say in the winner of The Gardner News Girls Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. The results of the poll, along with votes by the staff, were combined to decide the winner.

Combining her 11,105 votes in the fan poll along with top votes from the staff, Avery Murphy of Murdock has been named the Girls Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

Murphy, a junior at Murdock High, has been a standout on the cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams since she was in middle school.

Honorable mention

Also performing well in the fan vote was Gardner's Megan Bettez, who earned 50,66% with 13,151 total votes. The eighth grader has had a standout season, earning league champion in the 2-mile, District E champion in the 2-mile and finishing 5th at the state meet in the same event.

Athlete of the Year

This winter season, Murphy racked up the accolades. Among them were Mid-Wach D league champion in the 100 meter, Central Mass. Div. 2 champion in the 600 meter and MIAA Div. 5 state champion in the 1000 meter -- the only female Gardner-area athlete to get first place at the state championship.

"I've been coaching Avery since she was in sixth grade," Murdock cross country and track and field coach Anthony Findley said. "She has been one of the highest level competitors in this region for that time. She qualified seventh, eighth, freshman year, sophomore year and now junior year for either Nike or New Balance Nationals."

Murphy's talent has been described as "generational", dominating in her main events like the 600 and 1000 meter, and still excelling at others. She even became one of the top athletes in the steeplechase, an event that is not competed in Massachusetts high school track and field.

Alongside her list of accomplishments within the stats is the arguably more important aspect of being an athlete -- leadership. Murphy has taken on a leadership role within the tight-knit family-like team at Murdock. Her goal to create a strong bond with everyone on the team has helped the overall culture.

"She takes the time to cheer on and develop a relationship with the middle school team," Findley said. "Sixth-grade kids that are running cross country or a long jumper that's out of their element, or I've got a shy girl on the team and [Murphy] goes out of her way to make sure she interacts with them."

Just a junior, Murphy still has a lot of time to see more growth and improvement in her performances. This spring she will be on the outdoor stage before she returns once again for her senior season. Her passion and dedication to not only her own achievements but that of her teammates has helped earn her the title of Girls Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

"When I started, I didn't really know what I was doing but as time went on, I realized how special this sport was and how it's a gift to have it," Murphy said.