Jensen Reaches State Podium

By WRILEY NELSON
COOPERSTOWN

Cooperstown senior Claire Jensen rounded out her high school athletic career with a fifth-place finish at the New York State Track and Field Championship on June 9.

Jensen placed in the Division II (small school) 400m. Her time of 58.09 was a top-50 time statewide for the season. Victoria Guerrier of West Hempstead won the event with a time of 55.65.

Jensen racked up nine Section III Class C titles in her career with Cooperstown track and field. She was also part of team sectional titles in track (2022) and basketball (2022-2023).

“We had a really great team this year,” Jensen said. “My relay team in particular had several younger students coming up… The track teams always have good personalities and a lot of energy, so that makes it fun.”

Jensen reflected on a season of success in sprint and middle-distance events and with a dominant relay team.

“The sectional championship is usually my favorite meet,” she said. “There are, of course, some very motivated runners and the strong competition gives it a different feeling… my 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams did great.”

Jensen will attend Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and will run for the indoor and outdoor track programs. Williams is an open-curriculum liberal arts school and students do not declare a major until their sophomore spring; Jensen said she intends to explore several departments and is particularly interested in visual arts classes.