She's seeded second in the 800, her best event
BY Mike Lowe
Staff Writer, Portland Press Herald
Maria Curit has mixed emotions about this week's NCAA Division II national track and field championships.
Curit, a senior at Stonehill College, is excited to be participating in two events but sad that her college career is coming to an end.
"I'm just going to try to take everything step by step and appreciate it," Curit said in a phone interview. "I'm just going to try to enjoy everything. But it is sad."
Curit, a 2011 graduate of Biddeford High, is seeded second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:06.85. She is also seeded 14th in the long jump at 5.99 meters. The D-II national championships will be held at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, from Thursday through Saturday.
Expectations are quite high for Curit in the 800. She was seeded second in the indoor nationals and finished eighth in the event.
"I'm trying not to feel any pressure because everyone is good here," she said. "I just want to go out and relax."
Curit, who graduated Sunday with a degree in health science (with a minor in health administration), has had an exceptional career at Stonehill. She holds five indoor school records (200, 400, 600, 800 and long jump) and four outdoor school records (200, 400, 800, long jump). She recently received the school's senior female Student-Athlete of the Year award.
"Stellar," said Coach Karen Boen of Curit's four years. "She brings everything that she can to the table and doesn't take any shortcuts."
That work ethic was obvious while in high school, according to Biddeford Coach Ron Ouellette.
"Her determination and work ethic is probably the best I've ever seen in the 40-plus years I've been coaching," he said. "It's not so much that she did more. It's that she did the workout the way it was designed to be. It was never a matter of doing more, it was always a matter of doing it right."
Even now, said Ouellette, he uses her as a role model to his athletes.
"She sometimes comes in to work out during vacations or college breaks," said Ouellette. "And I tell my kids, 'See that. Do her workout. Emulate her.' She's a machine and it's paid off. When you have an athlete who has the talent and the work ethic and the desire, there's no stopping her."
Curit, who also played soccer in high school, was always a talented sprinter and jumper. As she got older, her college coaches felt she could handle the 800, finally nudging her to that race in the outdoor season of her junior year. She went out and earned All-America status with a seventh-place finish (2:09.05) in the nationals. She also earned All-America status in the 800 in the indoor season as a senior as well as the 4×400 relay.
"The 800 used to be considered a distance event," said Boen. "Now it borders on a long sprint. Maria has incredible stamina. We saw that when she used to do the 200, 400 and a 4×400 relay all in the same day.
"She has this combination of speed and endurance and work ethic that we thought she could do the 800. I'm glad she proved us right."
Curit will begin the national championships with the long jump on Thursday. The 800 prelims are Friday with the finals on Sunday. She is looking forward to the long jump as much as the 800.
"I think it's much less stressful," she said. "Maybe that's because you get three to six shots at it as opposed to just one race."
