Junior Fallon Murphy works her way across the course as she goes from point to point, checking off places marked on her map. As captain of the orienteering team, the immense pressure on her to be a positive role model for her teammates motivates her to succeed.
Murphy joined NJROTC as a freshman, two years ago. That year, she earned the recognition of female freshman orienteering national champion.
“It was great to win,” Murphy said.
With very little knowledge to begin with, Murphy has grown as an orienteerer by learning from others around her, and says that she is always looking for ways to improve her skills. Helping her with these improvements is senior naval science instructor and orienteering coach Captain Bill Johns.
Over the years, Johns has observed Murphy’s exemplary orienteering abilities, which was a leading factor in his captain choosing process this year.
“She is very thoughtful, friendly, and works well with others,” Johns said. “She is very organized, and is a natural teacher, able to teach the younger cadets how to do orienteering.”
To pick a captain, cadets are required to provide their input on whether or not they would like to take the position.
“It was not only her skill, but also how she deals with people, that resulted in her selection as the team captain,” Johns said. Murphy was then chosen as the first female orienteering team captain in the program’s sixteen year history.
Senior and cadet commanding officer Andrew Wilson, who was also responsible for looking over candidates for the captain position, recalls why he chose Murphy over others.
“She has a great mental toughness,” Wilson said.
Both Johns and Wilson believe Murphy will lead the team to the national championship in March, teaching younger cadets essential skills for the program while also improving upon her own abilities as team leader.
“I fully expect her to possibly bring us to a national championship,” Wilson said.
Younger cadets on the team have also taken a liking to Murphy’s leadership, acknowledging her improvement and contributions to the program.
“I met her last year and she’s grown in her confidence and expanded her leadership skills,” sophomore Madelyn Homa said. Murphy’s observation capabilities, Homa says, have allowed her to learn and acquire the proper skills needed to succeed in the program.
As Murphy leads the team, her teammates continue to emphasize her exhibition of important skills necessary for the program.
“If she makes a mistake, she knows how to fix it,” Wilson said. “That’s what makes her a good runner.”
