BIDDEFORD — The Tigers’ Maria Curit surprised herself in February when she sprinted down the long jump runway, leapt, landed and won a Class A state title.

The surprise wasn’t just that she took home the title, but she set a state record with her leap of 17 feet, 6 1/2 inches.

Later in the day, Curit took home another state title in the 200 meter, but it was that one leap that was still on her mind even after her 200 performance.

“That one means a lot to me because I don’t really practice the long jump that much,” Curit said on Friday. “I knew I had a chance of doing well in the event, but I never thought I’d break a record.”

It’s that record, coupled with her 200 victory, that makes Curit, a junior at Biddeford, the Journal Tribune’s 2010 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

Curit had stiff competition for the honor competing head-to-head with Thornton Academy’s senior star Hannah Wiley.

Wiley capped a great season winning state titles in the 400 meter dash and the 55-meter hurdles.

Ultimately, it was the record-breaking jump that put Curit over the top for the award. The SMAA also named her its track athlete of the year at the 2010 SMAA championships in early February.

“She is just a tremendous athlete,” Biddeford coach Ron Ouellette said after the state title meet.

Curit will be competing in the spring outdoor track season, which begins in late April. She said she hopes to carry her success from the indoor season into the outdoor meet.

“I really think the indoor season prepares me for spring because I’ve been getting into shape and participating in the events during the winter,” she said. “I am looking forward to it.”

Curit said that she will focus more on the high jump during next year’s indoor season now that she has a title to defend.

“I didn’t realize how good I was at it,” she said. “It wasn’t something that I thought a lot about, but now I want to work harder at it and see what I can accomplish.”