By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

Jul. 13, 2016:  The Rio Olympics are set to start on August 5, and former Bronxville High School student Alisa Kano will be part of the games. Kano and teammates Natalie McGiffert, Monica Rokhamn, Kiana Eide, and Kristen Shaldybin qualified to compete in rhythmic gymnastics, a sport where gymnasts perform in a choreographed routine to music using ropes, hoops, balls, clubs, or ribbons.

Twenty-one-year-old Kano attended The Bronxville School until her junior year, when she moved to Chicago to train with the Rhythmic Gymnastics National Team. Last September, Team USA secured a spot at the 2016 Olympics for rhythmic gymnastics, and Kano and her teammates were chosen to be part of that team at the 2016 USA Gymnastics Championships held in Providence, Rhode Island, in early June. This is the first time in 20 years that the U.S. will have sent a rhythmic gymnastics group to the Olympics.

Kano and her teammates left for Azerbaijan this week to compete at the 2016 Azerbaijan World Cup before they head to Rio.

"I'm very excited about these upcoming events," wrote Kano from Azerbaijan. "We are training at our best to prepare for the last few steps towards Rio. I am so thankful for everyone who supported me through this amazing journey. I am honored to be able to represent my country while hoping to bring awareness of this unique sport."

Also competing in Olympic trials this summer was Bronxville resident Patrick Conaton, who competed in the swimming trials in Omaha, Nebraska, in early July. Conaton finished 19th out of 109 competitors in the 200m back in a time of 2:01.20. He also competed in the 100m back, where he placed 38th. Conaton, who helped lead Fordham Prep to four New York State Federation Championships, now swims for Stanford University. In March, Conaton placed 2nd in the 200 yard back at the Pac 12 Championships, helping lead Stanford to a Pac 12 title.

This past weekend at the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Bronxville's Mary Cain competed in the 1500m, making it through the prelims on Friday and the semifinals on Saturday and finishing 11th in the finals on Sunday with a time of 4:13.45. The top three runners, Jenny Simpson (4:04.74), Shannon Rowbury (4:05.39), and Brenda Martinez (4:06.16), will represent the U.S. at the Olympics.

Cain, who holds the American Junior record in the 1500m (4:04.62), runs for the Nike Oregon Project and is coached by Alberto Salazar. She has been training on the East Coast for the past year and taking courses at Fordham. John Henwood, a former Olympian in the 10,000m, assists Cain with her daily training.

In an interview on LetsRun.com, Cain commented that she has a lot of faith in her training and the changes that she and her coaches have made, and she feels very positive about the future. Middle- and long-distance runners peak in their late 20s and early 30s. The top two 1500m qualifiers, Simpson and Rowbury, are 29 and 30, respectively, and competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Cain, just 20, has a long career ahead.

Bronxville is a small village, but our athletes continue to put Bronxville on the map.

Pictured here (rotating):  The US Rhythmic Gymnastics team with Alisa Kano, front and center (photo by John Cheng, USA Gymnastics); Patrick Conaton at the 2014 USA Swimming Junior National Championships (photo by John Collins, Badger swim coach); and Mary Cain (front) running the Wanamaker Mile at the 2014 Millrose Games at the New Balance Track and Field Center in New York (photo by J. Murrer).