Athlete: Kate Murphy
Year: 2017
School: Lake Braddock, VA
Analysis: One of the most intriguing storylines this season in high school cross country is, just how good will Kate Murphy be? The rising senior at Lake Braddock High School is one of the fastest preps in U.S. history - she won the adidas Dream 1500m in 4:07.21, which ranks No. 3 all-time, and won the USATF Junior Nationals 3K in 9:10.51, the fourth-fastest time ever. Those marks earned her trips to the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she advanced to the semi-final round, and the IAAF World U20 Championships, where she placed 12th in the final.
But track dominance does not always equate to success in the fall. Christina Aragon, the 2015 adidas Dream Mile champion and a medalist this year for the U.S. at the IAAF World U20 Championships, placed just 35th at Glendoveer Golf Course last November. However, Murphy has fared a bit better in cross than her predecessor - she placed 24th at NXN as a sophomore and 16th last year for All-American honors. Just don't expect her to run fast early in the season; last year, her first race was the Roy Griak Invitational in late September, where she placed just seventh overall. Another late summer track season means we likely will not see Murphy at her best until November.