Union Local High School Junior Celebrates State Championship
BELMONT — Connor Bendo, a junior enrolled at Union Local High School, recently made headlines for being the victor of the 3200 meter running event in the 2026 Ohio High School Athletic Association Jesse Owens Track & Field State Championships.
This accomplishment cements him as not only being one of Union Local’s best performing track athletes in recent memory, but also in terms of his place in the history of the school.
Like most student-athletes, Bendo’s rise to dominance and his growing appreciation for the sport started when he was younger.
“I began distance running in seventh grade,” Bendo said. “Originally, I was trying to get in shape for baseball, but by my freshman year of high school, I decided I liked distance running more.”
Since then, Bendo has mainly prioritized running over any other sport. It was a decision he made by his own accord—not by someone else in his life.
“That was definitely my decision,” Bendo said. “I’m actually the first person in my family to run track and cross country. No one on my mom or dad’s side participated in those sports.”
By his sophomore year of high school, Bendo had competed in distance running year-round. In the fall, he runs in cross country for the Jets, in the winter he runs in-door track and in the spring he participates on U.L.’s boys track and field team.
Considering that it was Bendo’s choice to pursue this, he too has been his leading motivator in constantly improving and running faster.
“People talk about different types of motivation,” Bendo said. “For me, I knew I was good in the past, but I knew I could do better.”
With this, Bendo still has received a lot of encouragement from his family and friends. Those in his life have been important in supporting him as well.
On his final lap on the track, the moment when Bendo understood he took the lead among the other contestants and then won is what he describes as “euphoric.”
“There were a lot of guys in that race who had better PRs (personal records) than me going into it,” Bendo said. “At 100 meters out from the finish line, my brain shut off. I had no thoughts but just to run faster and not look back.”
Video footage of Bendo’s victory can be seen here. The video is provided by WTOV-TV Fox 9 located in the Ohio Valley.
This upcoming fall, Bendo will be a senior, and what he’s thinking of right now is how he’ll improve for his final season wearing a Jet uniform.
“It’s always been the same as the year before,” Bendo said. “It’s always about being better than what I was last year.”
Being able to win a state championship for Union Local is something that Bendo is proud of, too.
“It feels amazing,” Bendo said. “My brother and I are actually the first generation of our family to live here. I’m definitely happy to represent Union Local High School.”
While also preparing for the upcoming school year, Bendo has been reaching out to colleges that he’s interested in running for.
Bendo resides with his family in Bethesda. His parents are Pete and Tiffany Bendo.
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