The senior has established herself as one of the top sprinters in the country.
At a very young age, it became quite obvious that MaryBeth Sant had a future as a runner.
"I used to play soccer and my coaches would always tell me I was fast on the field," said Sant, now a senior at
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). "My dad was like, ‘Hey, why don't you go out for track?' So, I just tried track and I fell in love with it."
That love has only grown over the years as Sant has established herself as one of the fastest high school runners in the country.
MaryBeth Sant, Valor Christian
Photo by Paul DiSalvo
Despite standing just 5-feet, 1-inch tall – she said she is "always" the shortest runner at the starting blocks – Sant is often the first to cross the finish line.
"I get a lot of looks when I go to the bigger meets and I get a lot of comments about, ‘How are you so fast? You're so little.' I think it surprises some people," she said.
Those who have seen her run aren't surprised, however. She's developed great technique and has won so many championships she can't even remember them all
On Jan. 26, at Balch Field House on the University of Colorado campus, Sant ran a blistering time of 7.3 seconds in the indoor 60-meter dash. That stands as the fastest time in the country this year among high school females.
She won a national race in the 100 meters in South Carolina last summer. That came one day after a big disappointment for her.
"I was trying to qualify for the Worlds team," she said. "I was one away from making that, so I was really upset, but I really just wanted to go out for nationals the next day. I really just wanted to prove myself and I felt really accomplished with that."
At the high school level, Sant has few peers.
A year ago, she won Class 4A titles in the 100 (11.69 seconds) and 200 (24.65), while also helping the Eagles to first place in the 800 relay and sixth in the 400 relay.
Sant's closest competitor isn't even really a competitor. Pine Creek's Alleandra Watt finished just .1 seconds slower in the 100 and actually posted a faster time in the 200 (24.11). However, Watt, who is only a sophomore this year, is in Class 5A, so the two won't get a chance to battle it out on the big stage in May.
While Sant is disappointed she can't compete with Watt, she is looking ahead to big things this spring.
Sant has her eye on the all-Colorado record in the 100. George Washington's Caryl Smith set that mark with a time of 11.31 seconds in 1987. She also said she is aiming for the "mid or low" 23-second mark in the 200. That would allow her to challenge the all-Colorado record in that event, too. Denver East's Aspen Burkett ran a 23.36 in 1994.
Records or not, Sant hopes to bring home more state titles this spring.
"It's my senior year and I just really want to go out and enjoy it and hopefully defend my title," she said. "Of course, I want to PR and get good times, but I'm really just focusing on enjoying it and defending the title."
Once she completes her prep career, there's no telling how far Sant can go in the sport. She has committed to run collegiately at Oregon, and she'd love to wear a Team USA uniform in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the summer of 2016.
"My dream since I was 12 years old was to go to the Olympics, so I'm really hoping for that. I'm working for the 2016 Olympics," she said. "(Coaches) told me I have the talent and I just need to keep working on it and never lose faith in myself. That's the biggest thing."
So far, so good.
Sant gave up soccer four years ago to concentrate on her running, and she hasn't looked back.
"I just love how competitive it is and I just love running," she said. "I've always loved it."
