Times swimming preview: Bucs star almost didn't come back

This article appeared in the St. Petersburg Times on Aug. 29, 2003. The photo at left shows Gulf swimming coach Linda Cassidy and Kimmi Murphy.

By STEVE LEE

NEW PORT RICHEY - Kimmi Murphy's swim career began at age 10, and the Gulf sophomore has impressive credentials.

She has made Junior Olympic cuts in freestyle events four times and last year swam in the Class 2A state meet.

Like most fickle teens, however, Murphy nearly had a change of heart and switched to cross country this fall.

Ultimately, however, Murphy, who had the county's fastest time last year in the 100-yard freestyle (57.97 seconds), returned.

"I was kind of iffy," Murphy said. "I thought about doing cross country. But I knew I'd miss (swimming). I knew if I would have done cross country, I would have regretted it."

Gulf coach Linda Cassidy could not be more relieved with Murphy's decision. After all, Cassidy was not overjoyed at the prospects of filling Murphy's slots.

Those included the 50 free, 100 free, 100 backstroke and two relays, the 200 medley and 400 free. Murphy qualified for the state meet in all of those events last year.

As much as Cassidy did not look forward to replacing Murphy, she would rather have done that than coerce the underclassman in rejoining the team if her heart were not in it.

"I don't want to sway a kid one way or another," Cassidy said. "I don't want to say, 'We have to have you in the pool.'

"Then she'd be miserable."

With Murphy on the roster, Gulf is poised to repeat as Sunshine Athletic Conference champion and challenge for a district title. The Bucs placed fourth at last year's District 5 meet.

Murphy, who also ran track in the spring, is somewhat refreshed emotionally, having enjoyed a summer she longed for; that of a normal teen whose activities included hanging out with friends and going to beaches, malls and movies. And, of course, chatting on a computer.

"I just had to feel what most teenagers do instead of swimming and running and going to school," Murphy said. .

But, she added, not swimming for New Port Richey's club team left her "out of shape. I can just tell when I'm practicing. I really have to work hard. It stinks."

Murphy, who said she plans to swim for Gulf for four seasons, has no intentions of staying away from a pool during the summer again. She does not want to swim competitively but will train on her own.

In the future, I might think about taking a break and remembering this will make me want to keep swimming," Murphy said.

Murphy's indecision this summer is not the first time she thought twice about swimming. When she was 10, her mother "made me join the (New Port Richey Tidal Wave) swim team," she said.

"I didn't know what I was doing. I was scared to go into the deep end. But I caught on kind of quick, and it started getting fun when I started winning (races)."

Cassidy, who also has coached Murphy at the club level, said, "I'm glad it worked out the way it did."