Nina Murphy-Cook
Year: Class of 2023
Team: Softball
Nina Murphy-Cook was arguably the fastest player in the country during her standout career, and will go down among the best players to wear the WPI softball uniform.
Despite missing half of a season with a torn ACL, she finished her career with 174 stolen bases—second-best in NCAA Division III history.
Along with Ama Biney, Nina put WPI softball on the national radar, leading the Engineers to its first-ever NEWMAC championship in 2016 and a pair of NCAA Super Regional appearances.
In her rookie campaign, Nina stole 57 bases in 59 attempts (.966) and led the team with a .487 batting average, en route to being named NEWMAC and ECAC Rookie of the Year, the first NFCA All-American in program history, and the NFCA DIII Golden Shoe Award as the fastest player in the country. After setting the NEWMAC record for stolen bases in a season, Nina swiped 48 more bags in 2016, when she was named a second team NFCA All-American and earned the second of three first All-Region accolades.
During those two seasons, the Engineers won their NCAA Regional to advance to the Super Regionals, and Nina was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2015 Williamstown Regional.
"Nina was the program's first All-American, and her speed was unmatched," recalled her head softball coach Whitney Goldstein. "Her 1-2 punch in the lineup terrorized others' defenses, and her ability to get on base was the catalyst for our offense during her WPI career. She was a versatile true utility player, infield and outfield, and was always ready to help the team in whatever capacity she was asked."
After graduating from WPI, Nina pursued a career in nursing. She went Samuel Merritt University based out of Oakland, California, graduating in 2022 with a BS in nursing. She is now a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Marshall Medical Center, based in Placerville, California. She and her boyfriend, Corrin, live with his son, Kaiden, and their cat, Camilla, in Sacramento.
Although she lives across the country, Nina and her softball teammates always make an effort to stay connected. They FaceTime about once a month, as well as go on yearly trips to a fun new location.
"She was a privilege to coach and watch excel on and off the field over her four years," added Goldstein. "She is the fastest player I have ever coached and her ability to change a game in an instance was a true joy and honor to watch. Nina helped change WPI Softball to a national name."
