Murphy brothers won two state swim titles for different teams
Kevin Murphy won a state title in swimming on Saturday. Andrew Murphy won one as well. The brothers from Cherry Hill - one a senior, the other a sophomore - each played a key role in a surprising and highly emotional team victory over a higher-seeded opponent in late-afternoon competition at the College of New Jersey.
Kevin Murphy won a state title in swimming on Saturday.
Andrew Murphy won one as well.
The brothers from Cherry Hill - one a senior, the other a sophomore - each played a key role in a surprising and highly emotional team victory over a higher-seeded opponent in late-afternoon competition at the College of New Jersey.
The twist is that the siblings swam for different teams. Kevin Murphy helped Cherry Hill East win the Public A crown in a meet that began just after Andrew Murphy and St. Augustine Prep captured the Non-Public A title.
"I never heard of anything like it," St. Augustine Prep coach Jon Stinson said. "For two brothers to be on different teams that win state titles in back-to-back meets, that's bizarre."
The day was unforgettable for the Murphy household. The boys' mother, Karen Murphy, wore her special split-loyalties shirt - red stripes for Cherry Hill East, blue stripes for St. Augustine Prep.
The family sat on one side of the natatorium for St. Augustine's 89-81 win over seven-time state champion and top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy and the other side for Cherry Hill East's 94-76 victory over top-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan.
"It was such a thrill," Karen Murphy said. "We were lucky they swam right after each other."
The timing of the meets was part of the serendipity of the day. St. Augustine took to the pool in the fourth meet of the championships, starting at 3:30 p.m., while Cherry Hill East was in the final meet, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Kevin Murphy and Cherry Hill East coach Joe Cucinotti were cheering for St. Augustine as Andrew Murphy and the Hermits were putting the finishing touches on their upset of perennial state power Christian Brothers.
"I'm next to Kevin, and we're cheering, and I'm thinking, 'Why isn't he is the locker room?' " Cucinotti said. "Then it clicked, 'Oh, yeah, his brother is on the block.' "
Kevin Murphy said the double victory was something of a dream come true for the brothers.
"It makes it extra special," Kevin Murphy said. "Obviously, it's something we talked about before, if we both could win. We were both so excited that we could both win it."
Kevin Murphy, a senior, swam a leg on the 200-yard freestyle relay that took first place and also contributed in the 50 freestyle, the 100 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relay.
He was a top sprinter and team leader for the undefeated Cougars.
"Just a quiet, cool leader for us," Cucinotti said of Kevin Murphy. "Kevin is so level-headed. When things would get too high or too low, he was always the guy who kept us centered."
Andrew Murphy, a sophomore, swam a leg on the 200 medley relay that took first place as well as the 200 freestyle relay that took third. He also swam the 100 butterfly and the 400 freestyle relay.
"He adds so much as member of all three relays as far as our depth," Stinson said of Andrew Murphy.
Andrew Murphy also is a top lacrosse player, which is one reason he decided to attend St. Augustine after graduating from Beck Middle School.
The brothers have been swimming in the summer together for years for the Wexford Leas club in Cherry Hill.
"We were on the medley relay last summer that set the club record," Kevin Murphy said.
Both brothers will compete this weekend at the individual state championships, while Andrew also has his sights set on the approaching start of lacrosse season.
But they likely won't ever forget the afternoon they took to the same water in pursuit of the same goal and came away with the same result with the same joyous reaction - just for different teams.
"We're competitive with each other," Andrew Murphy said. "But I always want to see him win, and he always wants to see me win."
@PhilAnastasia