By Randy Sharer
CHARLESTON — Kelly Curran turned mission impossible into a stroll in the park and helped Central Catholic High School earn its third trophy in three years at the 38th girls state track meet Saturday.
The Notre Dame recruit did what no girl in state meet history has, winning the 800-, 1,600 and 3,200-meter events to lead the Saints to second in Class 1A with 45 points. Only Byron’s 46½ kept Central from defending its 2009 title. Eureka’s 44.33 points nipped Sherrard (44) for third.
“Kelly just looked phenomenal,” said Coach DeWayne Griffin, whose 2008 team took third.
Griffin labeled Curran the best female athlete in school history.
“Notre Dame is getting a special athlete,” he said. “These girls she beat run all year long.”
Curran also helped her 1,600 relay place seventh to provide three key points. The Saints moved up when Walther Lutheran fell in the closing meters.
“If we get eighth (in that relay), we’re not even in second,” said Griffin, who also got a state title from freshman pole vaulter Sarah Bell. “I told her all year she’s the best vaulter in Class 1A in the state.”
Curran’s three wins helped the Pantagraph area collect seven in 1A. Sophomore Kalla Gold won the 400, fainted on the awards stand, but recovered in time to anchor Eureka’s winning 1,600 relay. Eureka also won the 800 relay and took second in the 400 relay.
“I was having a heart attack,” said Eureka coach Don Samford after Gold fainted. He rated the trophy the toughest to win of the four the Hornets own. “We had so many girls step up.”
Curran’s school year included a state cross country individual title, her second, and a state basketball crown.
“The great Catholic school I go to has provided a lot of support,” she said. “The team aspect of everything has really been encouraging.”
Curran regained the 3,200 title she won as a sophomore by clocking 11 minutes, 12.03 seconds, almost eight seconds ahead of the runner-up.
“I kind of tried to hold back and run a paced 3,200,” said Curran, who didn’t crack the top 10 until the last half of the race.
Ninety-five minutes later she returned for the 800. She led the 12-girl field, half of which was made up of area runners, through a 65.1 first lap. El Paso-Gridley freshman Julie James made a late rush, but Curran had another gear the final 100. The official timing system failed, but the Pantagraph’s manual time had her in a school record 2:12.0, which ranks sixth in area history.
“She definitely made me work,” Curran said. “Julie James is a great runner.”
A hundred minutes later in the 1,600, Curran paced herself as she did in the 3,200, passing the first 800 in 2:44.4, but finishing in 2:25.2 for a 5:09.75 that put her well clear of GCMS runner-up Sydni Meunier (5:16.27).
“We kind of went out at a slower pace than I thought we would,” Curran said. “I just kind of pushed myself at the 800.”
Curran ended with a 59.9 anchor leg for the seventh-place 1,600 relay (4:06.75) that included Bell (61.1), Emily Beoletto (61.2) and Cristin Neill (64.6). The Saints also got two points for eighth in the 800 relay (1:48.56) thanks to Bell, Kayla Shanks, Neill and Beoletto.
“Being so close to first (in the standings) is a little bit of a disappointment, but knowing that we only had six girls come down here it’s a really good accomplishment for all of us,” Curran said. “There are only a few of us leaving so they’ll be really good in the years to come.”
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