WORDEN — Huntley Project senior Macee Murphy had a tough finish to 2021, as nearly her entire left leg was wrapped at the State B meet to deal with injury.
Now battling minor foot problems, Murphy’s mental strength has been put to the test.
“It really sucks to not be full and not be able to do everything, but it’s just kind of God’s plan for me right now, so I just have to deal with it until I see what the actual plan is," Murphy said.
To ease the burden on her body, Murphy and head coach Wes Lindeen have decided to add the high jump and drop the triple jump, at least for now, as part of a two-pronged thought process.
“Last year I had quite a few events, so I wasn’t really able to. This year my feet started hurting again, so I figured less distance would equal less pain," said Murphy.
“When she was younger, you couldn’t give her enough events," Lindeen said. "As she’s gotten a little bit older and just the wear and tear of going from one sport to the next sport, we’ve just tried to back off this year to get the most out of her.”
Murphy is already one of the more decorated athletes in Class B, having placed second in the 200-meter dash, 100- and 300-meter hurdles as a freshman, as well as a third-place finish in the triple jump and sixth in long jump. She then won the 100 hurdles last spring and placed second in the 200 while banged up.
With college volleyball at MSU-Northern on the horizon, she’s enjoying her final year on the track. But make no mistake, she’s as competitive as they come.
“I don’t think she loses sleep over loss of friendship. A lot of people worry about the image they’re projecting. I know for her, it’s her hard work and being competitive in the moment," said Lindeen.
Murphy currently owns Class B's top time in the 100 hurdles (16.11 seconds), tied for fourth in the high jump at 5 feet, and is third in the long jump at 16-00 ¼. She'll be a big part of Project's push for a trophy at this year's State B meet in Great Falls in late May.
