Records Are Meant To Be Broken, But Not Quite Yet: A RMAC HOF Feature On Kate Avila
RMAC Media Relations
This is the first profile of six individuals being inducted into the 2019 RMAC Hall of Fame on Friday, July 12 at the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel. The 2005 Fort Lewis Men's Soccer Team will also be inducted.
Kate (Murphy) Avila was one of the best student-athletes to emerge from the Regis University women’s soccer program and her accomplishments would eventually land her in two Hall of Fames.
Her journey as a Plano, Texas native, to Denver, Colorado started by writing a letter to Regis’ head women’s soccer coach J.B. Belzer, asking him to watch her play for her club team. Belzer decided to travel to North Carolina to watch her in action at a regional tournament. From the moment he saw her play, he knew she was a special player.
“I was immediately impressed and thought ‘wow, this young lady is good’,” said Belzer. “She had a very high standard of play and she’s interested in us, that’s brilliant.”
Since high school, Kate demonstrated her first-class soccer skills on the field, leading Plano West High School to back-to-back state championships in 2000 and 2001. She was a forward and midfielder and led the program in scoring her junior year. As a senior, she was named Most Valuable Player of the 2001 State Tournament and graduated with honors.
For most prospective student-athletes, the decision to play in college is a tough one, especially when deciding between the different divisions of competition.
“All of her teammates chose to play Division I soccer, except Kate,” stated Belzer.
Kate fell in love with Denver on her recruiting trip. She wanted to play for Coach Belzer, while earning a Jesuit education at Regis.
“She came in during [the] 2001 [season] and it was a special year,” recalls Belzer.
In her first year as a Regis Ranger, Kate started all 20 games and led the conference in scoring with 35 total points and assists with 11. She was later named RMAC Freshman of the Year and helped lead the Rangers to a program-record 18 wins in 2001. That same season, Regis captured both the RMAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship titles for the first time in program history.
Due to injury, Kate redshirted the 2003 season, extending her eligibility through the 2005 season.
During her career at Regis, Kate became a four-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) First Team All-Conference selection, a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA-currently known as United Soccer Coaches) All-American, and a two-time First Team All-Region pick. She helped lead the Rangers to three NCAA postseason berths (2001, 2004 and 2005) and in 2004, Kate led the team to 19 wins, which is currently the most single-season wins in program history.
“Everybody knew she was a player of quality and high stature,” said Belzer. “[Kate] had a 1-v-1 mentality…she wanted to either assist or goal-score and she did it well with her club team and certainly did it well in her four years that she played here at Regis University.”
Today, Kate remains the record holder at Regis in five different categories and is in the top two in all 13-career major offensive statistical categories.
In four years of action, Kate registered 66 goals, 38 assists, 170 points, 19 game-winning goals and went a perfect 5-for-5 in penalty kicks in her career. Her 73 points and 31 goals in 2005 still stands as an RMAC single-season record.
Aside from leading in numbers, Kate was the ultimate teammate and the qualities she embodies, has since then, been the standard for the Regis women’s soccer program.
“Kate is the consummate teammate,” said Belzer. “She created for others. [She] did the job herself and empowered others to succeed. Players that make others better are special players and she did just that…She was internally motivated. She just loved to play. She just loved the game of soccer and she loved to compete.”
In 2016, Kate was inducted into the Regis University Athletics Hall of Fame. This year, she will become one-of-four Regis student-athletes, across all men’s and women’s sports, to be inducted into the RMAC Hall of Fame.
Her performance on the field will forever be remembered as one of the best in Regis and RMAC history.
“She is an amazing human being and she was a great soccer player, but mostly an amazing human being and still is to this day.”
Kate will be honored at the 2019 RMAC Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet at the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel on Friday, July 12. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit
www.RMACSPORTS.org/HOF2019.