WELLS — Denzel Tomaszewski says he was born fast.

As a promising freshman track athlete two years ago, he proved that to others.

Then in the fall of 2010, a gruesome knee injury he suffered playing football changed things ”“ quickly.

It’s been a long road to recovery for the junior from Wells High School, but he’s quickly making that injury look like a distant memory.

After winning the state indoor title in the 55-meter dash with a state record time of 6.58 seconds, Tomaszewski is continuing that success this outdoor season. At the Western Maine Conference Class B championships on Saturday, Tomaszewski won the 100-meter dash in a personal record 11.12 seconds. That time is the fastest in Maine this year.

“My goal right now is to break 11 seconds in the 100,” said Tomaszewski.

Breaking records is nothing new to sprinters from Wells High School. The indoor record that Tomaszewski broke previously belonged to Justin Vigeant, who ran a 6.59 in 2005. Before that, Derek Bolden had his name in the record books.

“It’s kind of cool that Wells still has it, that they’ve had it for so long, and I feel great that I lowered it,” Tomaszewski said of the record. “And I’m hoping to lower it next year, too.”

For someone who is great at going fast, Denzel had to learn to take it slow coming back from his injury.

“He could have come back and played football, I think, before the end of the season. I think in his mind, he wanted to make sure he was at 100 percent, and he took his time coming back,” said Wells boys track coach Mark Lewia. “I had in my mind that he’d come back just as strong as before.”

“To come back from injury, and become a state champ and break a record. It feels awesome,” Tomaszewski said of his achievements.

Even with what he’s accomplished so far, Denzel still has some goals that have gone unfulfilled. While he’s received some attention from Division II and Division III colleges, he really wants to run for a Division I team after high school. That goal is pushing him to improve.

“I’ve got to get even better to prove to them that I’m as good as those other athletes,” said Tomaszewski.

To pursue the sport at the next level, Tomaszewski has dedicated himself to track, which means possibly giving up football.

“I miss it, but I don’t want to risk it for track,” Tomaszewski said of playing football. “That was harsh, just watching all those kids run, and I couldn’t run because of a knee injury.”

Tomaszewski did say there is still a chance that he will play football next season.

Lewia will certainly get him for one more season, and he couldn’t be happier about it, he said.

“He’s a talented kid. He’s a great kid, too,” said Lewia about his star sprinter. “He works hard in practice. He does what he’s supposed to do. He gets along well with the other kids. He’s just an overall great kid.”

Tomaszewski also won the 200-meter dash on Saturday, and was part of the winning 100-meter relay team. He will compete in all three events at the state championships.

Comments are not available on this story.