The 5-foot-6 senior won her second-straight Group 6A state meet title this past season with a meet-record time of 17:08, breaking the tape 42 seconds ahead of her next-closest competitor and leading the Bruins to a first-place finish as a team. A semifinalist in the 1,500-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer, Murphy won the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional championships and then placed 33rd at the NXN Final, lifting Lake Braddock to a runner-up finish as a team. She was the 2016 Washington Post All-Met Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Murphy has maintained a 3.61 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to run cross country on scholarship at the University of Oregon this fall.
Murphy has volunteered locally with Eddie's Club, a recreational program for children with disabilities, and as a youth running coach. She has also donated her time on behalf of multiple community-service initiatives through her church youth group. "Kate was challenged in multiple meets, by exceptional runners, and she made victories look effortless," said Adam Daniels, head coach of Patriot High. "What makes her so good is her consistency. You know each race you are going to get your best from her."
