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Anastasia-Murphy looking to close out brilliant career in style

Thursday, April, 10 By Nick Curcuru
Staff writer

If you take a look at the high school track career of Liam Anastasia-Murphy, it's easy to see why he is a Division 1 college prospect.

For starters, Gloucester's senior captain is the school's record holder in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:30.25. He also boasts the honor of Northeastern Conference Most Valuable Player in both cross country and indoor track this year. If that were not enough, he was the Class B state champion in both cross country and the 1,000-meter run this year, and was also a part of the All-State champion 4x800 relay team this winter with Austin Souza, Alex Trotsky and Andrew Ryan.

Anastasia-Murphy, who is deciding between William and Mary College and Boston University for his college destination, is hoping to add to his already impressive resume before he wraps up his career this spring.

"The last four years here have been great," Anastasia-Murphy said. "I've gained so much from running here and it's been a lot of fun. But right now my focus is on the spring season and getting ready to run at the next level."

The distance specialist has already started to fine tune his game for college by running shorter distances in practice to improve his already formidable speed. According to Gloucester track coach Jim Munn, Anastasia-Murphy can make just as big of a splash in college as he has in high school.

"Liam has a lot of potential as a Division 1 prospect," Munn said. "What coaches love best about him is that he has that extra gear. He can pick his speed up to another level even in a long distance race. Plus he is a fierce competitor who always gives everything he has."

Besides his raw talent, Anastasia-Murphy's best attribute is his versatility. The senior captain has found success in middle distance events such as the 800 and 1,000 meters, all the way up to cross country distance, which can exceed three miles. Anastasia-Murphy's versatility gives Gloucester endless possibilities when it comes to matchups.

More often than not, he is matched up with the opponents' top distance runner, regardless of event.

"Liam is one of the top runners in New England in a number of events," Munn said. "He can compete with anybody in the 400 or the two mile, his versatility is incredible."

Anastasia-Murphy has also established himself as a team leader. Teammates look up to him because of his talent, and his hard work seems to rub off on his peers. Instead of shying away from being a leader, Anastasia-Murphy thrives on it.

"I like it," said Anastasia-Murphy about being a team leader. "I like to help out the team in any way I can, and if leading by example is a way to help, I'm all for it."

Munn also credits the senior captain for his leadership.

"He is a great leader and it starts with his work ethic," Munn said. "He sets the tone for the team and his attitude becomes infectious. He really exemplifies everything you want in a student athlete."

As it turns out, Anastasia-Murphy is just as much of a student as he is an athlete. The senior is a member of the National Honors Society and has an average above 90 in the classroom, which ranks him in the top seven-percent of his class. He is also a member of the student government.

Anastasia-Murphy credits his good work ethic in school to his hard work on the track.

"I always try to work hard in everything I do," Anastasia-Murphy said. "My hard work on the track has helped me gain a work ethic in school too."