University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Black History Month: Nicolle Murphy
2/12/2020 5:47:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Nicolle Murphy transitioned to track and field her junior year of high school after competing in softball and cheering competitively for 10 years. In 2014, her first outdoor track and field season with the Gophers, Murphy competed in the javelin at seven meets and the hammer throw at two. She was named All-Big Ten Second Team honoree after finishing second in the javelin at Big Tens with a career-best throw of 175-09 (53.58m). Murphy was named First Team All-American in both 2015 and 2016. In 2015, she was named Second Team All-Big Ten earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. In 2016, Murphy competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials, placing fifth in the javelin final with a career best throw of 56.35m (184-10). She finished as Big Ten champion in javelin and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team that year. Murphy was a team captain in 2016 and team co-captain in 2017. In her final season, in 2018, Murphy competed in javelin in seven meets, winning four titles. She was named a Second Team All-American, First Team All-Big Ten, and Academic All-Big Ten. She finished her career as a Big Ten champion in javelin.
Murphy misses being a student-athlete at the university and getting to be around her teammates and friends everyday. Her advice to current student-athletes is to be intentional with the relationships built while in college. She describes her relationships with fellow student-athletes, advisors, classmates, and friends as relationships that were crucial to her development as a young adult and how they have carried over into her life still today. Murphy has loved being able to come back to campus to visit and see all the changes on campus while reminiscing on her college days. Since graduating in August 2018, Murphy moved back to Kansas, and is still pursuing a career in track and field while working with an elite group of individuals at William Newton Cardiology. Murphy enjoys spending her free time with friends and family.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is a reminder of how beautiful our black is. It showcases individuals in our community who embody strength and power. The power to make a difference and strength to stand for something much bigger than themselves.
How have you been influenced or inspired by other black athletes, role models, or leaders in your life?
So many black athletes, role models and leaders have shown that we are fully capable of accomplishing many goals. We may encounter multiple obstacles along the way, but the challenges will NEVER break us. They MAKE us better than anything we could have ever imagined for ourselves.