Chris Murtagh was looking forward to the recent Awards Convocation at St. John's Prep. The 18-year-old senior and three-sport standout from Rowley suspected he might be line for some type of recognition.
"I understood my parents (Peabody natives John and Christine Murtagh) were getting e-mails from the school and were being invited (to the event), so I figured something was up," Murtagh said.
One of the most humble kids to ever walk the Prep's hallways, Murtagh certainly wasn't thinking he'd come away as one of the night's major award winners. He figured it might have been the Coaches Award for hockey, or perhaps something to do with academics.
After those two awards came and went without Murtagh's name being called, however, he got a sinking feeling.
"It was like, 'Why am I here?'" Murtah recalls thinking.
Never in his wildest dreams did Murtagh think he'd wind up winning the prestigious "Best Athlete" award - despite the fact that some of his friends told him he might.
"They put the seeds back in my head, but I just put it in the back of my mind. Meanwhile, the table with the awards was getting empty and I was sweating it out." he said.
Finally, Murtagh's face was aglow as they announced the next-to-last honor. The award was his: Best Athlete at St. John's Prep.
"When I went by the teacher's section, I got a standing ovation," said Murtagh. "Our dean of students, John Moran, told me it was the first standing-O he could remember for the award. An economics teacher, Mrs.(Ann) Gamer, gave me a hug and said she felt like her son had won the award. That gave me a great feeling."
A football, hockey and spring track performer for the Eagles, Murtagh never really thought of himself as a "Best Athlete" type.
Sure, he was a solid defenseman for the Prep hockey team, a steady stay-at-home blueliner and captain this past season who helped lead the team to the Division 1 state final as a junior and to the No. 2 seed in the Super 8 tournament this past winter.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder also started on the football team as a flex tight end, finishing as the team's leading receiver with 16 catches for 256 yards and four touchdowns. He is also a javelin and discus man on the track team and was good enough to win the javelin with a 176-foot effort at the Wilmington Invitational recently. He was also an All-State javelin qualifier in his sophomore year after finishing second at the Division 1 EMass. meet.
"I understood my parents (Peabody natives John and Christine Murtagh) were getting e-mails from the school and were being invited (to the event), so I figured something was up," Murtagh said.
One of the most humble kids to ever walk the Prep's hallways, Murtagh certainly wasn't thinking he'd come away as one of the night's major award winners. He figured it might have been the Coaches Award for hockey, or perhaps something to do with academics.
After those two awards came and went without Murtagh's name being called, however, he got a sinking feeling.
"It was like, 'Why am I here?'" Murtah recalls thinking.
Never in his wildest dreams did Murtagh think he'd wind up winning the prestigious "Best Athlete" award - despite the fact that some of his friends told him he might.
"They put the seeds back in my head, but I just put it in the back of my mind. Meanwhile, the table with the awards was getting empty and I was sweating it out." he said.
Finally, Murtagh's face was aglow as they announced the next-to-last honor. The award was his: Best Athlete at St. John's Prep.
"When I went by the teacher's section, I got a standing ovation," said Murtagh. "Our dean of students, John Moran, told me it was the first standing-O he could remember for the award. An economics teacher, Mrs.(Ann) Gamer, gave me a hug and said she felt like her son had won the award. That gave me a great feeling."
A football, hockey and spring track performer for the Eagles, Murtagh never really thought of himself as a "Best Athlete" type.
Sure, he was a solid defenseman for the Prep hockey team, a steady stay-at-home blueliner and captain this past season who helped lead the team to the Division 1 state final as a junior and to the No. 2 seed in the Super 8 tournament this past winter.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder also started on the football team as a flex tight end, finishing as the team's leading receiver with 16 catches for 256 yards and four touchdowns. He is also a javelin and discus man on the track team and was good enough to win the javelin with a 176-foot effort at the Wilmington Invitational recently. He was also an All-State javelin qualifier in his sophomore year after finishing second at the Division 1 EMass. meet.
But the Best Athlete at St. John's Prep, which seems to breed standout athletes in all sports? He couldn't believe it.
In fact, Murtagh presented a good case against his not capturing Best Athlete, rattling off the names of some of the school's blue ribbon senior athletes.
"There were a lot of kids who could have won it," Murtagh said.
He mentioned his close friend, Sean O'Hara, the outstanding baseball shortstop; lacrosse star Chris Langton; swimming sensation Jamie Mannion, who led his team to back-to-back state championships; record-breaking hurdler Matt Sullivan and nationally-ranked wrestling champ Ryan Malo.
"The reason I didn't think of myself for such a coveted award is that I don't believe I was as outstanding in any of my sports as they were in their sports," Murtagh admitted.
Murtagh said the Best Athlete winners are identified on a huge plaque that hangs in the lobby of the Prep gymnasium.
"Everybody looks at it - it gets a lot of attention - and you'd be surprised how many kids are always asking who's going to win it," Murtagh said. "I feel pretty good about it, pretty humble."
Bates College would endorse his all-around abilities, having recruited him to compete in two sports - football and track and field.
Never was Murtagh's athleticism more obvious than in his javelin triumph at the Wilmington meet. He won with his 176-foot toss, and the runner-up that day was one of the state's best - if not the best - in Wilmington's Sean Fahey, who had to settle for 173 feet.
"We both had off days. He's done 203, a difference of 15 feet over my best," said Murtagh. "I had never heard of him (beforehand), but I found out how good he is after the meet. It's just as well I didn't know of his reputation."
It was enough that Murtagh had a prom the previous night and didn't arrive until five minutes before the meet. His date was girlfriend Becca Pawlucki at her Boxford home.
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Ex-Andover High hockey star Matt Colby is headed for Salem State College after a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy.
The 5-foot-7, 170-pound center led Andover in scoring three of his four years and was a multiple MVP winner with the Golden Warriors. He was the Merrimack Valley Conference scoring runner-up with 39 points as a senior and had three hat tricks, including one vs. North Andover in the state tournament.
Colby, the son of Marblehead Hockey Hall of Famer Tom Colby, skated the second line for Bridgton and netted 18 goals and 33 points, including one hat trick. His dad was the head hockey coach at Marblehead for three years and stepped down to become an assistant last winter because of business and family commitments.
"I felt good about Salem State educationally and for hockey as well," Colby said. "It was close to home and offered the major I wanted, catology (mapmaking) and geography. I've always been interested in geography.
"Salem State plays a great NESCAC schedule and has a great tradition. It was the only place I applied. I also was interested in Salve Regina and UMass Dartmouth, but Salem was at the top of my list. Coach (Bill) O'Neill is very good coach and a good guy."
Bill Kipouras is staff writer at The Salem News. He can be reached at 978-338-2615 or by e-mail at bkipouras@ecnnews. com.
