West Point commit Persson wins twice at BL indoor track finals; Nonnewaug, Lakeview earn team titles
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BETHEL - Shepaug senior Christianne Persson is driven in what she does. You can see that at an indoor track meet, where she competes in the 55-meter hurdles and 55 dash, back to back.
Persson did just that at Friday night's Berkshire League championship meet at the Bethel High School Track and Field Training Center, and she won gold in both races, taking the hurdles in 8.60 and the dash in 7.45.
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It's that kind of drive that has made Persson a Division I college athlete, and she made a major commitment in early December. Persson will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where she will become a cadet and run track for the Black Knights.
"I got into the recruiting process last summer, and I went on an official visit in September. I knew from the moment I stepped on campus that that's the place where I want to go," Persson said. "I will be reporting for basic training on June 29th, and I will spend the next four years being a U.S. Military Academy Cadet and competing in Division I track, which is my absolute dream."
Persson is Shepaug's 2024-25 female scholar-athlete - by a unanimous vote among Spartan coaches - and carries a 103.67 grade-point average. Her idea of going to West Point started as a freshman at Shepaug, and it was because of another Spartan who gave his life for his country.
"We have a deceased veteran from our school named Stephen Reich, who every year we watch a presentation about him, and his life story inspired me very much to want to go to West Point, because he was a West Point graduate and served in the military in Afghanistan," Persson said. "Ever since I learned about him, I wanted to explore the opportunity that I could attend West Point, so I started looking into the application process as a sophomore and a junior, and just doing everything I could to make sure that I was a standout candidate."
Reich, a 1989 graduate of Shepaug, became a baseball freshman All-American at West Point, and he was the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year in 1993. Reich was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.
To be considered for West Point, Persson had to apply for nominations from Connecticut U.S. senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, along with Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. She sent in transcripts and an essay, and received nominations from both Murphy and Hayes. Persson even conducted an interview with Hayes' office one night at school.
"It was a stressful process, honestly, but I was so glad when the results came out and all my hard work came to fruition," Persson said.
That hard work has also showed through during her first season of indoor track. Persson was a standout in outdoor track, but decided to run indoor track as well this winter.
Persson was used to doing back-to-back hurdles and sprints, but at the 100-meter level in outdoor.
"In her first race, she struggled with it a little bit with how quick of a turnaround it was," Shepaug coach Tara Flaherty said. "She's used to it with the 100s outdoor, and I told her, either you get better at that or I'm picking your race. And she said ‘OK, I'm going to get better at it.'
"From then on, she decided she was going to run both and figure it out, and we talked about how to calm herself down between events, and she's done great since."
Persson not only did the two 55 finals back to back, she also ran the first leg of the 1,600 sprint medley relay, which Shepaug also won.
"She just inspires confidence within other people on the team," Flaherty said. "The girls look up to her, they really try to emulate her work ethic, and it's just a pleasure to coach her."
Flaherty said Persson is an "amazing kid."
Nonnewaug Boys Repeat
In the two years that the BL championships have been contested, the Chiefs have been at the top on the boys side. Nonnewaug took first Friday with 132 points, with Thomaston second at 101 and Lakeview third (97).
Nonnewaug senior Jake Cenatiempo won the 300 (37.96) and 600 (1:28.48), and was the anchor leg of the winning 4x400 relay (3:52.69). PJ Galullo was first in the 55 meters for the Chiefs (6.73), who also won the 4x200 relay.
Thomaston junior Beau Kociszewski won the 1,600 (4:48.68) and 3,200 (10:40.42), and finished second (2:44.86) to junior teammate Braden Walker (2:44.85).
Lakeview Girls Victorious
It came down to just a couple events, but the Bobcats captured the team championship with 120 points. Thomaston was second with 111 while Nonnewaug was third at 110.
Lakeview's wins came from senior Camila Salinas (shot put, 28 feet, 2 inches) and sophomore Greysen Thomas (high jump, 5-0).
Thomaston junior Briana Belanger won the 1,600 (5:30.21) and 3,200 (12:13.39). For Nonnewaug, sophomore Madeline Garguilo won the 600 (1:40.07) and 1,000 (3:12.59).
This article originally published at West Point commit Persson wins twice at BL indoor track finals; Nonnewaug, Lakeview earn team titles.