Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 21, 1993 TAG: 9302190204
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
FOR TECH SWIMMER, LESS TRAINING RESULTS IN MORE GOLD MEDALS
Jeff Murray entered Radford University's Dedmon Center pool last weekend feeling a little undertrained.But the 23-year-old Virginia Tech senior from Fredericksburg, who was swimming in the Virginia Senior Short Course Swimming Championships, didn't let that stand in the way of his striking gold.
Murray won three events and set one meet record. Included in the triumphs were victories in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100 free and the 100 butterfly. In both freestyle distances, he qualified for United States Senior Nationals.
Not only that, but he had personal-best times in the freestyle races. His times of 20.66 seconds in the 50 and 45.10 in the 100 just made the cut. His mark in the 100 set a new meet record, to boot.
Not bad for a guy who claims he didn't train exceptionally hard.
"It's surprising," he said. "I didn't plan on making senior nationals."
Murray hadn't been competitive since swimming for the Hokies in 1990, the season his four years of NCAA eligibility expired. He never forgot the grueling workouts required to be a success at that level. Typically, he'd spend four hours a day, six days a week in the water.
Not anymore.
Murray cut his training back to three or four days a week with 45 minutes of swimming in each. That made for more intense workouts.
As far as he was concerned, it was the quality of time in the water that mattered, not the quantity.
Murray didn't start swimming year-round until he was 15 years old. The late start was a help, not a hindrance, though, he said.
"I'm still swimming, but all the other guys who started when they were young are probably burnt out," he said.
Murray, who helps coach younger swimmers for the Blacksburg Sunfish swim team, has his difficulties training these days. The only place where he can work out is at Tech's War Memorial Gymnasium during recreational swim hours. That means he's usually trying to find some elbow room with all the rest of the swimmers.
"Sometimes when it gets too crowded, I just get out," he said.
Obviously it's not the ideal situation, but he's trying to make the best of it.
Murray never qualified for the NCAA meet when he was competing for the Hokies, but he has twice qualified for senior nationals, in 1988 and 1990. Neither time did he swim up to his expectations. He hopes this year's trip to the meet, which will be March 31-April 4 in Nashville, Tenn., will be a different story.
His goal is to make it to the finals in both freestyle distances. He even has a plan.
"I'm not going to train as hard," he said. "It seems to work."
Memo: ***CORRECTION***