Wolcott senior Nick Bendtsen and Holy Cross senior Raquel Rosa couldn’t have gone out in a better fashion at their final state class meets on Wednesday and Thursday at New Britain’s Willow Brook Park.
Bendtsen and Rosa each won two individual state championships at their respective meets, Bendtsen in Class M and Rosa in Class S. Here’s what each standout runner did:
Nick Bendtsen
He won the 1600 and 3200-meter races, and broke state meet records in both events. Bendtsen’s time of 4:08.44 in the 1600 eclipsed the 4:16.95 run by Griswold’s Gavin Coombs in 2004. His run of 9:17.48 in the 3200 bested the 9:23.23 run by his older brother Chris, another Wolcott standout, in 2009.
It’s the second straight championship meet where Nick Bendtsen snapped meet records in the 1600 and 3200. Bendtsen also did so at the NVL meet on May 22, and his time in the 1600 topped his brother Chris. His time in the 3200 broke a 45-year-old record. It has been one terrific spring season, one he will never forget.
Raquel Rosa
She won the 200 and 400-meter races, and she ran personal-best times in both events. Rosa’s time of 25.86 in the 200 eclipsed her previous best of 25.89 during a May 7 meet against Oxford. She came close to her previous best during the city meet on May 25, where she ran a 25.95.
Rosa’s time of 57.03 in the 400 easily bested the 58.84 she ran at the NVL meet on May 22. Her previous best in the 400 was nearly half a second faster than her previous second-best time of 59.28 during the May 7 meet against Oxford. Rosa not only went lower than her previous best…she ran past it with ease.
PHOTO CREDITS: Bendtsen — Sports on CT-69, file; Rosa — Kate Xeller, Holy Cross girls track and field coach
