Maria Marascia Headed to UMass
Blue Devil fans are really going to miss Maria Marascia, a three-sport athlete with a hustling and hard-nosed style of play. She has endeared herself to coaches and teammates and has been a reliable presence that frequently came up big for Huntington’s teams.
Marascia will graduate in a few weeks, pleased with how the past four years have turned out. She’s headed to the Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst in the fall, where she plans to compete on the women’s track and field team and possibly study finance.
“I am very happy with my past four years,” Marascia said. “I learned a lot in high school that I will take with me to college. I definitely got what I hoped for.”
“Maria has natural talent and the drive to hone that talent to make her one of the best 400m intermediate hurdlers in Suffolk County,” said Debra Cheskes, Huntington’s track coach. “Last year an unfortunate slip in the finals of the state qualifier ended her chances of making the state championships. Maria's entire season has been about rectifying that mistake.”
Well-liked by classmates and teammates, Marascia can go from giggling teenager to intensely focused athlete at breakneck speed. She earned varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and track and compiled a fine academic record, too. She hopes to close out her high school career in a very special way.
“Maria has been training to improve her form and speed,” Cheskes said. “Maria has yet to peak this season, and I feel that at the county championships Maria will be mentally and physically set to achieve her goals. At this week's Division championships she is the No. 2 seed in her event and will also will compete as a member of the 4 x 400m relay.”
UMass tracked hundreds of seniors over the past year before bringing in less than three dozen recruits, including Marascia. “Maria's versatility will serve her well in college,” Cheskes said.
Over the course of her high school track career Marascia has competed in a slew of events, from the hurdles and high jump to the 100m, 800m and relays. For the past two years she has been the top scorer in the Blue Devil program and has earned All-League and All-Division honors in the 400m intermediate hurdles.
She might be headed to UMass, but Marascia is Huntington through and through. She is leaving high school with enough memories to last a lifetime. “I met a lot of great friends and teachers and something that I will always remember is probably the volleyball, basketball and track seasons,” she said. “We always had so much fun together.”
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