Murphy to coach Wheelock men's and women's cross country teams
BOSTON, MA - Wheelock College has hired Kristin Murphy as its men's and women's cross country head coach, Director of Athletics and Sport-Based Initiatives Diana Cutaia announced on Friday. An elite runner on the national and regional levels, Murphy previously was a member of the cross country and swimming & diving teams at nearby Wheaton College.
"I am very excited to have the opportunity to coach here, and hope to build on our success from last year," said Murphy, who inherits a women's squad that tied for second at the 2009 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship and a men's program that will field a team for the first time. "I look forward to each runner setting new goals for this season, and then helping them to reach those goals. I anticipate a fun and competitive season."
As a runner with the Boston Athletic Association, Murphy has competed around the country and New England since joining the organization in 2008. Since 2004, Murphy has been an instructor with the YMCA of Greater Boston. In addition to her athletic pursuits, Murphy has taught preschool at the Newton Early Childhood Center since 2009 while gaining teaching experience between 2007 and 2010 in Marlborough and Watertown.
"Kristin has not just the expertise, but the energy and drive to increase the number of athletes we have involved in the programs and to raise them to the next level," said Cutaia. "Despite Wheelock's male population being lower than the female population, we always want to ensure equality for both genders. It's exciting that Kristin will be able to provide opportunities for our male students."
At Wheaton, Murphy ran cross country as a freshman and swam as a sophomore. During her undergraduate years, she was her class's secretary for the Student Government Association and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest academic honor society. Murphy graduated cum laude in 2003, having majored in psychobiology and minored in education. In 2008, she earned a master's degree in elementary education from Cambridge College.
