Montgomery standout Murphy strives for success, for herself and her ...
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Emily Murphy tries to pin Hughesville's Abbi Bowman in the 136 pound bout at Montgomery Tuesday night.
While holding its senior night on Wednesday prior to Montgomery’s home dual against Hughesville, the Red Raiders lone senior went to center mat with her parents to be honored. It was while her accomplishments were read that the PA announcer mentioned that Emily Murphy is ranked nationally in girls wrestling.
A fan on Hughesville’s side was audibly impressed upon hearing that, and it’s no shock.
Murphy has already committed to wrestle in college and will compete next winter for Lock Haven University. She had a third-place medal last year from state competition and won district and regional gold last season.
She’s ranked No. 2 in Pennsylvania at 136 and 12th nationally.
If fans thought Murphy was impressive last year on the mat, she’s only gotten better this year.
“The amazing part of it is she trains her mind and body nonstop to get better and now that she’s taken a part of being on this team, the things she brings back to the rest of the team is huge,” Montgomery coach Jodi Furman said.
Last year, Murphy finished 37-3 and won 29 bouts by fall. The Red Raider is well on her way to duplicating that success. Wednesday was Montgomery’s first dual competition and the season is only two weeks old. But, despite that, Murphy is already sitting at 10-0 and has won nine of her bouts by fall (one via forfeit).
Only one wrestler this year has forced Murphy to go into a second period and that’s returning District 11 second-place finisher and Southeast Regional qualifier Alylah Cruz of Pocono Mountain East. Murphy still earned a fall though, doing so in 2 minutes, 37 seconds.
The senior Red Raider pinned J.P. McCaskey’s Jazelyn Mendez, a fourth-place sectional wrestler and Southcentral Regional qualifier last year, in 53 seconds before earning a fall in 1:11 over Pennsbury’s Ruby Ogolo. Murphy pinned Northern York’s Keairah Dykes, a returning seventh-place finisher at sectionals last year, in just 46 seconds, pinned returning state qualifier Sophia Adams of Carlisle in 1:22 and returning District 4 qualifier Kayleah Hostetter of Central Columbia in 1:14.
Murphy’s last three opponents were Towanda’s Kenzie Brown (fall in 1:13), Milton’s Ali Shuyhyra (fall in 36 seconds) and Hughesville’s Abbi Bowman (fall in 1:46).
Getting points against Murphy is extremely difficult as the Red Raider doesn’t let opponents take her down very often, and it’s even harder to escape once Murphy has you on the mat.
When Montgomery practices, Murphy doesn’t just want to get better herself, but make the team better. She acts as a coach for the team in practice and the younger wrestlers on the team soak up everything Murphy tells them.
“She’s coaching in the room and doing things to make not only herself better, but everybody around her, so it’s been amazing that she can still develop as a wrestler by not having the huge competition week in and week out, but the things she’s learning by actually coaching the other girls.”
Murphy is the team’s lone senior, meaning the girls coming back next year will gain a ton of valuable experience learning first-hand in practices from Murphy, the program’s first-ever state medalist in girls wrestling.
“We have such a young lineup with Emily our only senior that we have the rest of the lineup, we have a junior coming back who was injured all last year, rest are freshmen and sophomores,” Furman said. “The things they teach are invaluable.”
