Introduction of Kara Murphy, presented by Martha Whiting, Tufts Women's Soccer Head Coach

While it is unusual now for student-athletes to participate in more than one sport, a lot of Jumbos enjoyed multi-sport participation in the 1980’s and 1990’s. And back then, few student-athletes did it better than our next inductee. 

Showing amazing versatility, Kara Murphy played forward in soccer, point guard in basketball, and center field in softball – and she excelled in all three.

A native of Canton, Massachusetts, Kara once said, “I didn’t know if I’d be good enough to play all three sports in college, but it was important to me to find a school that would let me try.”

Fortunately for the Jumbos, Tufts was that place ... and Kara quickly proved to herself and everyone who watched that she was more than good enough.

As a first-year in 1993, she burst onto the scene by tying for the team scoring lead in soccer, starting all 23 games in basketball, and hitting for a batting average of .407 in softball. 

And it only got better from there. 

•    From 1994 through 1996, Kara led the soccer team in scoring every season. And she was a captain of the 1996 soccer team that won the ECAC New England championship; 
•    Kara captained the 1996-97 basketball team as well, and as a quick and aggressive point guard, she led the Jumbos in assists and steals in both her junior and senior seasons; 
•    In softball, Kara was an on-base machine and a dangerous base-stealer, and she was a leading member of the teams that started the program’s great run of post-season successes that continues to this day. She played for the 1995 team that won the ECAC North championship, and her 1997 team earned the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. 

To this day, Kara’s number is all over the record books in all three sports. 

•    On the soccer pitch, Kara is still eighth on the team’s all-time scoring list, and her 22 career goals rank sixth all-time;
•    On the hardwood, Kara’s mark of 200 career steals still ranks fifth all-time for the women’s basketball program; 
•    And on the softball diamond, Kara’s incredible .403 career batting average is among the best in team history, and her 60 stolen bases is second all-time.

Kara was multi-talented academically as well. She graduated in 1997 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Math and Quantitative Economics before moving on to get her MBA at Harvard Business School. As a senior in 1997, Kara received the Rudolph J. Fobert Award as the best multi-sport athlete who also maintained a strong grade-point average. And the truth is, Kara could have won it in all four of her years at Tufts. 

"Kara was obviously an outstanding and versatile athlete," said Bill Gehling, who recruited Murphy to Tufts and coached her in soccer. "This enabled her to play critical leadership roles in three completely different sports. But what really set Kara apart from her peers was her unparalleled determination and competitiveness. She was absolutely relentless, both in training and in games. It was a privilege and a pleasure to coach her."

Even 25 years after this incredible multi-sport athlete left Tufts, Kara continues to support the Jumbos in multiple ways, including as a valued member of the Tufts Athletics Board of Advisors.
 
It is my distinct honor to welcome the amazing Kara Murphy to the stage and into the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame.