Rockville runner Bajorek went from leg brace back to her happy place

May 28—SOMERS — Her one-year reign as NCCC champion in the 800 meters ended Tuesday, but never had a third-place finish felt so good to Abby Bajorek.

Considering where she was eight months ago after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee or a month ago as she worked her way back to competition, the Rockville High senior felt more like a winner than if she had crossed the line in first.

"This year is definitely sweeter," Bajorek said. "I wasn't even expecting to run this season. Even though it was a little slower and a couple of places back, to run here and place in the top three is amazing. I'm so proud of myself for getting through it all and it is very emotional. It's so sweet."

Bajorek and the Rams had plenty to celebrate on the Somers High track.

She opened the NCCC Championship meet by teaming with Isabel Cintron, Elizabeth Dunton, and Maggie Dwire to win the 4x800 relay, then finished it off alongside Dwire, Gabriella Montano, and Anaya Tolton to take the 4x400 relay as Rockville captured the meet and conference titles.

The victory of her spirit was worth more than any medal.

"I was in my full leg brace for two months," Bajorek said. "I couldn't walk without assistance for a month. Getting all my strength back ... My left leg is still obviously weaker than my right. While I know it's going to take me a long time to get that muscle back and to do squats and to do lunges unassisted, I have to stick with it. Being told by my surgeon and being told by my physical therapist that, hey, even though you're doing all this there's a large possibility you might not be able to run and compete this season was so hard. But to push through it, it got me to where I am now."

Bajorek didn't run in 2020 as the CIAC canceled the spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That fall she earned all-NCCC honors in soccer for the Rams before making her mark on the track when spring sports returned.

She returned to the soccer field but in the final minute of Rockville's final preseason scrimmage in early September, she tore the ACL and had surgery that month.

"And I wasn't going to play soccer because I wanted to focus on being recruited for track," Bajorek said. "I was nervous about injuries because three of my soccer teammates had ACL tears. I wasn't going to do it but then I got convinced to do it.

"So when I got hurt I thought, 'Well, there goes my track season.' But I wasn't going to let it go that easily. I put the effort into my physical therapy. As soon as I was able to ride a bike I got on it, even before I was able to walk and was still on my crutches."

She called the months of rehabilitation the toughest thing she's done.

But for Bajorek, the process was more difficult mentally than physically.

"I missed it so much," Bajorek said. "I sat through all of the practices watching my friends run. I sat there and cried. But that made me more determined to get back.

"Going to rehab, then having to watch my friends on the field or track running, not being able to do something that I love and that I'm good at made it so much harder."

She was cleared to return in the spring and ran her first race on May 3 at Ellington. Four days later in a meet at Suffield with East Windsor and MLC, she won the 800 in 2:40.71. She ran 2:32.66 to capture the 800 in a home meet with Windsor Locks and East Granby on May 18.

With each performance she regained confidence in the left knee.

"I feel OK with it," Bajorek said. "I was always told cutting and running before six months would be a challenge. After I started training again I suffered a possible shin fracture in my right leg. I sat out another two weeks to make sure that was fine.

"The main issue that I had was all of the pressure I was putting on myself. I wasn't nervous about the knee. I had been training in the gym every day trying to get my strength back. What I was nervous about was coming back and thinking, 'I was first in the 800, I was running really great times.' So when I came back I put so many expectations on myself. I didn't want to disappoint myself and other people."

Some success had her feeling good as the regular season wrapped up.

The stage was set for her run in the NCCC meet.

"Anything Abby would accomplish for us this year was going to be a bonus," Rockville coach Eric Senger said. "But her impact goes far beyond what she did on the track. You see it in the relays she's on, the energy that the other girls get when she's with them. In practice, even in the beginning of the year when she first got cleared, people noticed she was putting the work and time in."

In 2021, Bajorek ran a 2:23.09 in the 800 to beat out Somers' Rachel St. Germain by a 4.45-second margin. Repeating in the 800 Tuesday, even at 100 percent, was going to be a challenge. St. Germain has become one of the top runners in the state and even she wasn't the top seed in the event. That honor went to the Spartans' Avery D'Amour.

St. Germain took the lead at the start with D'Amour giving chase and another group, including Bajorek, hanging on. At the home stretch, Bajorek was fifth. But the heart of a champion came through as she passed Bolton's Taylor Michaud and Somers' Gracie Flynn for third in 2:29.42 behind only St. Germain (2:26.31) and D'Amour (2:28.17).

"You can never count Abby out," Senger said. "She performed beyond anyone's expectations."

Bajorek and the Rams will head to Willow Brook Park Wednesday to take part in the Class MM state meet. She was fourth in Class MM (2:23.04) a year ago to qualify for the State Open where she was 15th (2:21.90).

This fall she'll attend and run for Southern Connecticut State. The Owls and assistant coach Brian Neill stuck with Bajorek even after the injury.

"He always checked up on me," Bajorek said. "He'd ask, 'How is this process going? How are you feeling?' I didn't do my official visit until after I was injured. When I told him he said, 'I'm so sorry. But we're still going to have you.' That meant so much."

She'll head there feeling like a winner, and still champion.

For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.