Sometimes to go your very best you just need a little motivation. That’s what it took for Machine Aquatics’ James Murphy on the second day of competition at junior nationals on Thursday night in Irvine, Calif.
James Murphy, pictured above at the 2013 Va. AAA state championship, is among the top multi-distance freestyle prospects in the country. (Photo by Doug Kapustin/The Washington Post)
The rising Robinson junior found himself in a tie for eighth place in the boys’ 100-meter freestyle after morning prelims. That meant the final spot in the evening’s championship final would be decided in a swim-off between Murphy and Kyle DeCoursey of Zionsville Swim Club.
DeCoursey, the reigning Indiana state champ in the 50-yard freestyle, took the early lead with a 24.49-second opening split, but that’s when Murphy took over.
Murphy, who has short-course times of 44.95 (100-yard free), 1:37.97 (200 free) and and 4:25.24 (500 free) used his considerable endurance to surge in the second half to win the event in a time of personal-best 51.08. He out split DeCoursey, 26.09 to 26.67. The 17-year-old Indiana native touched in 51.16.
The time ranks Murphy 11th overall among junior swimmer (18-and-under) and fourth among those under the age of 16. He moved up one spot in the final to finish seventh with a time of 51.40. His previous best entering the meet was 51.71.
Townley Haas,17, of the Richmond-based NOVA of Virginia swim team won the event in 50.12. Haas is the second-ranked recruit in Virginia behind NCAP’s Andrew Seliskar in the class of 2015. Murphy is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2016.
Murphy swims the 400-meter freestyle tomorrow where he is seeded 17th overall (heat 13 of 14, lane 2) with a 3:58.51. Haas is the top seed with a meet-record time of 3:51.99.
Also scheduled to swim in the morning heats are RMSC’s Anna Kolanowski, Claire McIlmail, Jeff Snodderly and Michael Sullivan and All Star Aquatics’ Hannah Lindsey and Caroline McTaggart.