The most competitive of cross country runners look forward to the big races, such as invitationals and championships.
Wolcott senior Nick Bendtsen didn’t get a chance to run in invitationals, or go after an NVL divisional championship. There were no state meets, and no trip to the big New England meet.
For Bendtsen and his fellow competitors, the next best thing after the CIAC season ended was club championships. Bendtsen ran in the Northeast High School Cross Country Championships on Nov. 28 at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, N.Y. He finished third in that race.
On Saturday, neither muddy, wet conditions nor other competitors could stop Bendtsen. He caught Conard standout Gavin Sherry with about 10 meters left and crossed the finish line first in 15:40. Sherry finished right behind Bendtsen in 15:40.5. Bendtsen averaged 5:02.3 per mile, just ahead of Sherry’s 5:02.4 per mile pace.
