Maria Stuber, an elite cross-country ski racer who represents the Central Cross Country Ski Association Elite Team and the Lapham Ladies, recently put in the best performance of her already successful career. On March 29 she was one-half of the CXC two-person women’s sprint team that took a silver medal at the national championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Stuber and teammate Caitlin Compton each skied three laps of a 1.3K loop. The duo was ranked fifth going into the event. At the start of the anchor lap, Stuber was in second place and within striking distance of the leader, Liz Stephen. In the same event at the World Cup last January, Stephen took fourth place. The bad news for Stuber was that America’s top female sprinter, Kikkan Randall, was on her tail.

Then Stuber put in the race of her life. Not only did she almost catch Stephen, she put distance between herself and Randall, silver medalist at the 2009 World Championship.

Stuber, who grew up skiing for Waukesha West High School on the Lapham Peak course, already had a very good rèsumè. But her finish at nationals was definitely a step up. While in high school, Stuber was twice Wisconsin State Champion and once runner-up. Then at Northern Michigan University, she served as the ski team captain for three years and graduated summa cum laude with a 3.85 grade point. She won the Kortelopet in 2004. In addition to full-time skiing, Stuber is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise science and maintaining that grade point.

I’ve known Stuber since her early high school years when I helped with her technique and training. She has always been gracious and respectful of others and a good friend. The way she thanked her teammates for their support leading up to nationals, as she did on her blog at www.xcskialliance.com, illustrates just that.

“It was also wonderful to have so many friends ... on the podium. Three of the six women on the women’s team sprint podium were NMU alumni (Morgan Smyth, Caitlin Compton and I). Morgan was an integral part of my success at NMU. Over the years we have helped bring out the best in each other, and there is no one I would rather stand one step down to on the podium of a team event.”

Humble in victory and gracious in defeat, Stuber is an appropriate choice for Silent Sports’ Athlete of the Month. She may be slightly embarrassed by this small honor and insist that Compton is equally deserving since both skiers put in spectacular performances to win their silver medals.

The Silent Sports Athlete of the Month is an opportunity to spotlight exceptional athletes, back-of-the-pack workhorses, noteworthy noncompetitive participants and active, effective advocates of silent sports. Readers are encouraged to nominate and submit profiles of the individuals they wish to see honored in this space.

The selected athletes will be featured in the magazine and receive a Silent Sports Athlete of the Month certificate, suitable for framing. The individuals who nominate the selected athletes will receive a one-year subscription or an extension of their current subscription.

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