By Justin Gaymon // Photo by John Nepolitan

Focus.

That's one of the words that Iona Prep senior Ryan Herrera-Murphy uses to describe his strength as a pole vaulter.

“When I go to meets it’s just me, the runway and the bar,” said Herrera-Murphy. It’s a passion. It’s the thing that I look forward to doing at the end of the day. It’s a getaway.”

That focus helped Herrera-Murphy capture a long list of indoor and outdoor victories this season at meets including the Bishop Loughlin Games, Molloy Stanner Games, NYSPHSAA-NY State Championships and most recently, the 121^st Penn Relays, where he jumped into the meet’s record books by clearing the eighth highest height ever by a high schooler with 15’ 9”.

“At the beginning of the season I made a list of goals in my phone. One of my goals was to win Penn Relays and I’m really happy and appreciative that that happened.”

Though he had a bit of a lack in focus before the Relays, as he and his teammates left for the meet without their poles, Herrera-Murphy was able to refocus and compete well despite the competition’s chilly setting.

Herrera-Murphy’s focuses now include capturing his second consecutive victory at early May’s Loucks Games and becoming an outdoor state champion, goals he says he couldn’t hope to accomplish without his strong support system.

“I have a really good group of people around me. I couldn’t have achieved what I have so far without my family, coaches and teammates because they all keep me in line and thinking about the future.”

The future is a topic that Herrera-Murphy has spent a lot of time considering. While going through his college selection process, he first considered going the traditional university route, but found himself impressed by the students and alumni of the United States Naval Academy.

“I took a summer seminar and an official visit there in the fall. When I met alumni from there I saw that the United States Naval Academy had infused in them the ideals that are in my opinion of a real man.”

Once this track and field season is over, Herrera-Murphy will begin his journey toward becoming a member of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He’ll start taking classes there during the fall of 2016 and plans to study mechanical engineering.