Ellsworth High School Standout Named Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year
CHICAGO (June 20, 2014) ” In its 29th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Daniel Curts of Ellsworth High School as its 2013-14 Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Curts is the second Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Ellsworth High School. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track, distinguishes Curts as Maine's best high school boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Curts joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999- 01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Meb Keflezighi (1993-94, San Diego HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.) and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.). The 5-foot-11 senior distance talent won three individual state championships at the Class B state meet this season, leading the Eagles to third place as a team. The state's 2012-13 Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, Curts won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.41, the 1,600 in a meet-record 4:09.88 and the 3,200 in 9:42.51. His winning time of 8:51.24 in the 3,200 at the Loucks Games broke a state record and ranked as the nation’s No. 5 performance among prep competitors in 2014 at the time of his selection. Curts has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. In addition to donating hundreds of hours as a summer camp counselor, he has volunteered at the annual Mount Desert Island Marathon and as part of Welcome to My Home, a homelessness outreach and advocacy initiative. "Not only is he an outstanding athlete, but he also shows a great deal of sportsmanship," said Sarah Gardner, head coach at rival Mattanawcook Academy. "He always cheers on and congratulates other athletes whether they are on his team or a complete stranger. He sets a great example for others, and I know many of my athletes look up to him as an athlete. He is a great example of what an outstanding track and field athlete is." Curts has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on scholarship at Iowa State University this fall. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport. Curts joins recent Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year Jared Bell (2012-13, Deering High School), Matthew McClintock (2011-12, Madison Area Memorial High School), Jack Terwilliger (2010-11, Cheverus High School), Will Geoghegan (2009-10, Brunswick), Dan Smith (2008-09, Thornton Academy), David Slovenski (2007-08 & 2006-07, Brunswick) among the state's list of former award winners. To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.