By Randy Sharer | rsharer@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON — Observe high school sports long enough and you get a feel for the likelihood of a particular star’s level of success being repeated.
If you saw Kelly Curran compete, commit the image to memory because odds are you won’t see anyone repeat it.
The Central Catholic senior kicked things off by defending her Class 1A state cross country title, becoming only the sixth girl to win more than once.
Then she started for the Saints’ 32-1 Class 2A state championship basketball team, averaging 7.7 points on 49 percent shooting to go with 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds.
The best was saved for last as she became the first person to win Class 1A state titles in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter events to help her track team finish second.
“In this age of specialization, you may not see many more athletes like her,” said Tim Connelly, who will coach Curran at the University of Notre Dame.
Curran’s one-of-a-kind year in which she was also a valedictorian has made her an easy choice for the Pantagraph Area’s Female Athlete of the Year Award.
“She’s definitely the best female athlete we saw at Central,” said Saints track coach DeWayne Griffin, who watched Curran win a state 3,200 title in 2008 and help his 2009 team win a state title.
Curran was among six female candidates nationally for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.
“It’s a tribute to her and what she gave Central Catholic,” said Saints basketball coach Debbie Coffman. “I can say I’m very proud to have coached her and gotten to know her.”
Curran knows the road to success ran two ways between her and Central Catholic.
“I think when I look back on it I’ll realize the great opportunities that have come to me this past year and just what the school has provided and how that has affected my success,” she said.
One person affecting Curran’s running career since seventh grade was assistant coach Emily Shoopman.
“She was phenomenal,” Curran said. “We’ve really become good friends now.
“Throughout all the years she has coached, I have seen the other girls immediately respect and trust her for everything she provides.”
The pressure of high expectations often provides athletes a reason to fail, but not Curran, who won 15 career state meet medals in cross country and track, including relays.
“I trusted the training my coaches put into me,” she said. “They knew what they were talking about so I went with it.”
Some thought she went too far in attempting a distance triple at the state track meet in addition to helping her 1,600 relay place seventh.
“The fact that she was willing to try that schedule, let alone pull it off, shows that she is not only really brave, but also extremely unselfish and team oriented,” said Notre Dame’s Connelly, who is getting a girl with school records of 2:12.29 in the 800, 4:55.5 in the 1,600 and 11:03.3 in the 3,200.
“Given that she has never been a full-time, year-round runner because of basketball, nor had the chance to race consistently against high-level competition, I think that she has just begun to scratch the surface of her potential.”
Female Athletes of the Year
2010 — Kelly Curran, Central Catholic
2009 — Stephanie Brown, Tri-Valley
2008 — Olivia Klaus, Eureka
2007 — Megan Laughlin, Flanagan
2006 — Stacey Miller, Central Catholic
2005 — Chandra Golden, University High
2004 — Ashlee Pistorius, University High
2003 — Jessie Shay, Olympia
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