Each year, thousands of collegiate athletes compete in their respective sports. Only a select few ever top the record books and memorialize themselves in history. Bridget Lalonde is a member of that exclusive club. The senior sprinter has rewritten the Bucknell indoor track and field record book starting with her first-place mark in the 400-meter dash. Lalonde, along with three teammates, also holds the record for the 4x400-meter relay. Finally, she is sixth in Bucknell history for the 200-meter dash. In the outdoor record book, she currently sits fourth all-time in the 400-meter dash, second in the 4x100-meter relay, and sixth and seventh in two different 4x400-meter relay quartets.
Lalonde broke the indoor 400-meter dash with a time of 54.75 at the ECAC Indoor Championships. The old mark of 55.33 was set by Jess Bridle in 2016. At the same meet, her quartet broke the 4x400-meter relay record. It was the perfect capstone to her final indoor season with the Bison.
Interestingly, track & field was not necessarily the guaranteed outcome for Lalonde. Growing up, the sprinter played soccer and was excellent at the beautiful game.
“I started track in middle school to keep in shape for soccer. During my freshmen year of high school, I remember watching the NCAA Championships and seeing Gabby Thomas run sparked an interest. My mother then signed me up for a track & field camp that summer, and I loved it. I continued to play soccer, but going into my sophomore year, I made the switch and decided that track was the way I wanted to go.”
Like many student-athletes who picked Bucknell, her decision was influenced by the great examples set by those legends who paved the paths. In this case, it was decorated distance runner Christine Bendzinski, owner of the indoor record for the 3000-meter run, and a 14-time Patriot League champion. She and Lalonde both attended the high school of RHAM. The connections go beyond sharing a geographical area. Bendzinski was a biology/chemistry major, and Lalonde wanted to and has become a biology major.
Lalonde’s decision to commit to Bucknell came down to the proverbial photo finish. With 24 hours left in the recruiting process, she remained undecided before a two-hour phone call from Bendzinski solidified her decision to become a Bison.
Bendzinski’s phone call might have attracted her to Bucknell, but the closeness of the team has kept her in Lewisburg amidst the turmoil of COVID-impacted seasons and the lure of the transfer portal.
“The sprinters have always been close. We are supportive of each other on and off the track. Coach Alexander played an important role. He thought I could run a fast 400-meter dash before I ever thought I could do that. The support system here has developed me not only as an athlete and as a person. It has been extremely impactful in my four years at Bucknell.”
Track & Field is famous for being a sport full of individual events despite often being the largest team of any athletic program. Lalonde, as mentioned, has seen success in both the individual and relay realms. To succeed in both takes a versatile mindset.
“In the 4x400-meter relay, you do not have all the pressure on you. One person can have a good day, and one runner can have a bad day. The whole quartet is working towards the same goal. For individual events, it is much more mental. I think of a relay race differently in how I run it, which is weird since they are the same distance. During an individual event, I am just trying to run for myself and am not as worried about the other racers. Whereas for a relay, I am more aware of the other teams.”
Lalonde and the Bison women shined at the prestigious ECAC Championships finishing third to claim the highest Bison finish ever. Lalonde broke two school records in the 400-meter dash and the 4x400-meter relay as part of the three school records set by the Bison women. It was a capital performance by the senior sprinter and a fitting capstone to her illustrious indoor career with the Bison.
“We came into the ECAC Championships to have fun with the event. I was not expecting us to finish third place. We take the pressure off when we compete in the ECACs. It is a good mentality, and it worked as we ended up with personal best times and broken records.”
In retrospect, Lalonde’s success should not be a surprise. She hails from a family of athletes. Her mother played soccer at Quinnipiac, and her father played club sports in college. Beyond collegiate athletics, the entire family regularly hits the slopes and skis. Lalonde could rightly be called the Tiger Woods of skiing as she started at the age of two and raced competitively during her younger years.
Her post-Bucknell plans are ambitious as her previous years have been.
“Next year, I am attending Notre Dame to use my fifth year of eligibility, and, interestingly, thrower Robert Feeney and I will be in the same graduate program. It will be a big change in college athletics, and the coach is trying to build their 400-meter group.”
Beyond athletics, Lalonde wants to work in the biotech industry on the business side or as a venture capitalist. Her biology major at Bucknell has given her a background in the area and the chance to discover how the industry works.
However, with the outdoor track & field season starting, Lalonde is focused on completing her Bucknell career with a flourishing finish.
“I want to win the 400-meter dash at the Patriot League Championships. I think I have a great possibility. I want to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminaries. They take the top-48, and if we have the right weather (always the wildcard of the outdoor season) and the right competition, all of it will come together. I also want to have fun. It is my last season at Bucknell. If I focus less on perfect times and more on just competing, I know I will be successful.”
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