About a year ago, Norwich eighth-grade student, Matt Murray, was preparing for his first season of spring track and field on the Tornado’s modified team. Murray comes from a family of runners, and his older brother Rob was a longtime member of the Norwich track program, so picking up the sport was a no-brainer.

“He ran for us all last year, indoors and outdoors,” said Norwich indoor track and field coach Shaun Horan. “About halfway through his seventh-grade outdoors year, we pulled him up to varsity. Based on the times he was running, we knew he would be competitive. Now, he isn’t just competitive, he’s one of the best quarter-milers.”

Murray picked up where he left off last year at the start of the 2009-2010 indoor season. He was typically at the head of the pack, particularly when he was running against kids closest to his age. Horan explained that the beginning of the indoor season offers meets for freshman- and sophomore-aged kids only, and later, open races for student-athletes of all grades.

“When we put him in against varsity kids, who were mostly juniors and seniors, he was still competing quite well,” Horan said.

Murray consistently led Norwich’s varsity boys throughout the season, and his reward, based on his excellent times, was a 400-meter dash qualifying spot in the postseason National Scholastic Indoor Championships, held last weekend in New York City.