Fab Five: Grace Murphy

Photographs have the ability to capture important pieces of our past and help us recall people, places, feelings, and memories that made an impact on our lives. For many scholar-athletes, pictures secure those special moments and assist in making their collegiate careers last forever.

In a feature called “Fab Five”, Triton scholar-athletes are tasked to pick five of their favorite photos throughout their career to be highlighted on UCSDtritons.com.

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LA JOLLA, Calif. - Today, Grace Murphy, a rising Senior on the swimming and diving team shares her collection of photos. Murphy hails from Napa, California and is majoring in speculative design. She has qualified for the NCAA championships the past three years and has earned All-American Honors or Honorable Mentions 12 times. Murphy was also part of the 200-free relay team that won the Tritons very first MPSF title for the 2020 season.

1. Relay Finals

This image was captured after our 200 Medley relay during the 2019 NCAA Championships in Indianapolis. During that race, my teammates Olivia Parks, Jordan Phillips, and Brittney Miles had great energy and focus, and combined with the support from our team, we were able to break the school record. After training together all season, it felt so good to have our hard work pay off. Because swimming is primarily an individual sport when it comes to competition, relays like these become memorable because it allows us to bring a more collective energy to the blocks and reflects what can be achieved as a result of a supportive team atmosphere.

2. Dual Meet Energy

This image is from UCSD vs. LMU in 2018, which was one of our last regular season meets. I remember it being a post-winter-training chilly day in January. Nevertheless, it was still a fun and memorable meet purely because the team still pulled off some great swims. The chaotic exhaustion of this day serves nicely as an example of our unique team energy. This same atmosphere is why I decided to swim for UC San Diego in the first place, knowing that these teammates would become some of my best friends.

3. Taper Time

This photo was taken during my 100 breastroke race my Sophomore year at the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis. The energy was high on the pool deck, and I felt a great connection with the water, as if all of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. Coach Kirk Kumbier had worked with me throughout the season on more technical details, which came through during taper. More importantly, I remember having fun swimming and being excited to race in finals as an individual for the first time.

4. Parents and Alumni

Our alumni and parents are always the most enthusiastic and supportive group of people at meets (Not to mention their stellar dance skills). There is no better feeling than looking up into the stands before a big swim and seeing them cheering you on. Even more, they demonstrate that the bonds formed on this team are lifelong, and the importance of community is enriched in our team culture. I wouldn’t be where I am without their continued support. This image in particular captures a pre-finals moment during the 2019 NCAAs in Indianapolis.

5. UC San Diego vs Cal

This image was captured during our UC San Diego vs. CAL long course dual meet this year, right before my 200 Breastroke. This was a great opportunity to swim against some tough competition, and practice long course racing. I was able to compete with teammates Miranda Renner and Katja Pavicevic, who always bring a smile to my face before events. Although it was a tough race, I knew they had my back. It was also so exciting to see Katja win the event, and qualify for Olympic Trials with a season best.

Stay tuned for future editions of “Fab Five” from other UC San Diego scholar-athletes. Below are previous “Fab Five” collections: 

• Zeinab Torabi (women's track and field)
• Isabel Lavrov (softball)
• Cameron Leonard (baseball)
• Neil Tengbumroong (men's tennis)
• Sarah Proctor (women's rowing)
• Konami Masui (women's fencing)
• Natalie Widmer (women's soccer)
• Anu Bhadada (women's tennis)
• Calder Hilde-Jones (men's water polo)
• Jake Selstad (men's cross country/track and field)
• Cindy Tran (women's volleyball)
• Collin Shannon (men's volleyball)
   

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide more than 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. In addition, 83 Tritons have been named Academic All-Americans, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.