Bucknell University Athletics
Bendzinski Set to Compete at USATF Junior Outdoor Championships
6/22/2015 12:30:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell freshman Christine Bendzinski still has some work to do in what is already an impressive first year with the Bison women's track and field team. She will travel to Eugene, Oregon for the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships on June 25-28. The top two finishers in each event will represent the United States in the Pan American Junior Championships, which will be held in Edmonton, Canada at the end of July.
Bendzinski qualified and is entered in both the 1,500- and 5,000-meter races, with her primary focus being on the shorter of the two events. The preliminary round of the 1,500-meter run is scheduled for Thursday at 2:35 p.m., and the final will be run on Saturday at 4:58 p.m. If she is unable to qualify for the finals, she will run the 5,000-meter race on Friday at 10:15 a.m.
"Chrissy really closed out her first collegiate season successfully with some great races at the Patriot League Championships, as well as the ECAC Championships,” said Bucknell head coach Kevin Donner. “Although there has been a layoff, she proved her fitness with a very nice 5k at the John Hay Memorial Distance Classic last week. She is very excited to test herself against the finest runners who are 19 years of age and younger in the nation on a very big stage in Eugene."
Bendzinski has the fifth fastest time of the 15 accepted entries in the 1,500. She was the runner-up in the event at both the Patriot League Outdoor Championships and the ECAC Championships. Her time of 4:28.60 at the ECAC meet ranks as the fourth fastest in Bucknell history.
In her first season with the Bison, Bendzinski has quickly built a solid resume, including being named the Rookie of the Meet at the Patriot League Indoor Championships after winning one relay and two individual events. Two of the wins came with meet-record times. She followed that up with two All-Patriot League awards at the Outdoor Championships. Her performance helped the Bison win the team title at both events.
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