It was only one year ago when track and field jumper Dwight Barbiasz found himself at a crossroads in his athletic career.

Barbiasz (pronounced bar-BEE-az) had multiple prospects after his high school graduation. He could spend a year at prep school to play football, go to a collegiate track powerhouse or attend the school he grew up rooting for.

Chris Barbiasz, Dwight’s father, played linebacker for the Terrapin football team in the late ’70s. As a result, Dwight grew up as a Terps fan from afar, in Milford, N.H., and knew all about the athletics program. He visited College Park for sporting events and watched Terps games while at home.

“I went to a few basketball games at Cole Field House,” Barbiasz said. “And I went to a few football games. At one of them, I got to stand on the sideline because it was an alumni game. Standing on the field as a kid was a great experience.”

In high school, he was a football and basketball player, and originally wanted to play football at a prep school after high school.

But as he realized his potential in the high jump – which he picked up in the spring of his junior year in high school – he began to lean toward a track career. He was an All-American as a member of the 2008 USA Today All-USA high school track and field team.

He received offers from track powers such as Auburn, Florida and LSU. He took official visits to Texas and Tennessee.

But because of Barbiasz’s Terp allegiance, this university – not known for its track program – was able to win the recruiting battle. It was a major coup for a program that finished 44th in NCAA regionals last season.

“When I saw a video of him, I told [head coach Andrew] Valmon right away that I liked what I saw,” Terp jumps and hurdles coach Frank Costello said. “I saw that he had a lot of raw talent, and he was the kind of jumper I was looking for.”

Roughly two years after picking up the sport, Barbiasz has soared for the Terps this season.

On February 28, he posted a high jump of 7-2.25 inches. The jump was good enough to secure the ACC Championship in the event. Nearly a week later, Barbiasz was named ACC Indoor Track Freshman of the Year.

“[Winning the ACC as a freshman] is great,” teammate and fellow jumper David Edwards-Brennan said. “It’s really good. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. [The type of people that do that] have national records in the high jump. So he’s in that class of people.”

Barbiasz did not stop there. On March 14, he competed at the NCAA Championships and placed third in the high jump with a height of 7-0.25 inches.

On April 25, he was able to post another mark of 7-2.25 inches at the prestigious Penn Relays to place second in the meet.

Even through his success, Barbiasz continues to refine his technique with Costello, a former two-time NCAA high jump champion. Costello also trained Barbiasz’s father as a strength and conditioning coach with the football program but didn’t make the connection until the younger Barbiasz showed up at the university.

“I came here because I know Frank is going to get me to where I need to be at the next level,” Barbiasz said. “My goal is to be in the Olympics by 2012 and maybe get sponsored by Nike or Under Armour.”

Barbiasz is known by his teammates and coaches to have a very intense competitive edge. His teammates said he treats every practice as a competition and will practice even when he is not feeling the best. Leading up to the ACC Championships, Barbiasz had a nagging foot injury, but he put it out of his mind to claim the title.

“He has that one ingredient that you need to really be successful: It’s that he’s a vicious competitor,” Costello said. “That’s the thing you don’t know until you actually get a person, throw them in a track meet and see how they do. He impresses me the way he competes. He’s fearless.”

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