Class of 2026 recruited college athletes. Photo courtesy of A.Vaglica.

By MacKenzie O’Gorman

July 1, 2026: As the school year comes to a close, many Bronxville athletes are preparing for their next chapter, with 20 members of the Class of 2026 set to continue competing at Division 1 and Division 3 colleges and universities. 

Each athlete's story is unique, but one common theme emerged: the road to success is rarely a straight line. Behind every college commitment, personal record, and championship moment are years of hard work, setbacks, perseverance, growth, and a genuine love of sport.

Field Hockey

Bronxville goalie Eva Klessel. Photo by David Fenner.

Eva Klessel will be playing field hockey at SUNY Oneonta. A goalkeeper, Klessel first stepped into the position in 8th grade and quickly fell in love with both the sport and her position, joining New York Hockey Club to further develop her skills and challenge herself with even stronger competition. Beyond her love of the sport, Klessel was also drawn to the opportunity to join a close-knit team and have a built-in support system in college.

Throughout junior year, Klessel communicated with college coaches but ultimately wasn't satisfied with her opportunities. Reflecting on the beginning of her senior year, she said,

“I had accepted that I would most likely attend my top-choice school, a Division I university, and either try to walk onto the field hockey team or play club field hockey instead. Although I was still receiving occasional emails from coaches, I felt like being recruited was no longer a realistic possibility because none of the schools seemed like the right fit.”

Despite these challenges, Klessel continued playing with passion and remained open to new opportunities.  After receiving an unexpected offer, visiting campus, and doing extensive research, Eva realized that SUNY Oneonta was a perfect fit. Not only was the team what she had hoped for, but the school itself was exactly what she was looking for.

Klessel offers the following advice to younger athletes beginning the college recruitment process.

“If I could give one piece of advice to anyone beginning the recruiting process, it would be this: Don't lose hope, and be open to unexpected opportunities. Visit a school you've never heard of. Reply to the email you weren't expecting. Don't be afraid if your path looks different from someone else's.”

Track and Field

Finlay Rowan will be running at Washington University in St Louis. Rowan did not seriously consider competing in collegiate track until January of her junior year, when her times improved enough to make her a strong Division 3 prospect.

Reflecting on the recruitment process, Rowan noted, “My process with recruiting definitely wasn’t linear. My biggest piece of advice is to be patient, and don’t get discouraged.”

Throughout the summer before her senior year and into the fall, Rowan emailed countless coaches while continuing to improve her times. She ultimately decided to apply Early Decision to Washington University, knowing she would have a spot on the track team if accepted. Rowan was accepted in December and is excited to begin her academic and track career this fall.

Rowan’s lifelong passion for sports contributed to her desire to continue competing.

“I love the community, special moments, memorable wins, meaningful connections and tough lessons that have come from being part of a team,” said Rowan.  “It has taught me a lot about myself and even helped me build self-esteem by setting big personal goals and achieving them.”

Other Bronxville athletes who will be competing in collegiate track and field include: 

Vincent D’Amato, Iona University, D1 

Julian Gonzalez, Swarthmore College, D3

Will Hogue, Harvey Mudd College, D3

Carl Kirst, Trinity College, D3

Javier Tomala-Reidel, Stony Brook University, D1

John Sekula, Williams College, D3 

Football

Bronxville wide receiver Thomas Freeman. Photo by David Fenner. 

Thomas Freeman will play football at Princeton University. As a wide receiver and outside linebacker, Freeman helped lead the Broncos to the New York State Class C Championship this past fall. 

Freeman’s story is unique in that football was not part of his original plan. For most of high school, he thought he wanted to be recruited for lacrosse. He played club lacrosse and participated in countless showcases for the majority of his high school career; however, he never received the recruiting interest he had hoped for.  

Instead of continuing down that, Freeman shifted his focus after being accepted to Princeton and decided he wanted to play football. 

“I’ve played both football and lacrosse since elementary school and loved both sports and the competition that comes with them,” said Freeman.  “My story shows how it's never too late to switch from your original plan."

Thomas is excited to see how collegiate football differs from high school football and looks forward to meeting his new teammates. 

Other athletes that will be playing college football include: 

Kieran O’Neil, Bowdoin, D3 

Walker Moore, Williams College, D3

Lacrosse

USA Lacrosse All-American Charlotte Murray during a game against Pawling. Photo by David Fenner. 

Athletes who will be playing College Lacrosse include: 

Brady Dolan, Williams College, D3

Ellie Garofalo, Denison University, D3

Charlotte Murray, Middlebury College, D3

Astrid Pulkkinen, Washington and Lee University, D3

Quinn Sheehan, Duke University, D1

Rowing

Iris Donovan will continue her rowing career at Wesleyan University. Donovan has rowed for City Island Rowing Club since her freshman year and knew by her sophomore year that she wanted to pursue rowing in college. However, it was not until the summer before senior year that she fully committed to the recruiting process.

One of Donovan's top schools, Wesleyan, had an amazing Division 3 rowing program and was also a school she was genuinely interested in academically. After touring campus and receiving a positive admission pre-read, Donovan committed to the program and applied Early Decision.

“I love this school and I also love this sport, making it a really good fit for me,” she said.

Looking back on her high school rowing experience, Donovan commented that the things she loved most are the ordinary practices–the early mornings and long afternoons on the water. She especially enjoys the days when everything comes together: the team rows well, the water conditions are ideal, and the hard work pays off.  The fact that these practices don't happen every day makes their occurrence even more special. 

Donovan is excited to get to experience the big team culture at Wesleyan, as it is larger than the City Island team. 

Tennis and Squash

Bronxville squash player Petra Monogenis.

Petra Monogenis will be playing squash at Bowdoin College. She visited many different colleges during her junior year but immediately felt at home when she stepped onto Bowdoin's campus and knew this was the school for her.

Throughout the recruiting process, Monogenis made a conscious effort to stay in touch with Bowdoin’s coaching staff and competed in multiple showcases. In the end, Monogenis received offers from other NESCAC schools but did not receive one from Bowdoin.  Although she was content with the other offers, she felt very strongly about attending Bowdoin.

Monogenis made a courageous decision.  She didn't take the safe route but instead took the risk and applied to Bowdoin, willing to take a walk-on position if she was accepted. Luckily, her risk paid off. On a visit to Bowdoin in early September, the head coach informed her that she had a spot on the team. 

Monogenis is extremely excited to be on their team and looks forward to strengthening her bond with all the girls that make up the squash team.

Other athletes playing college racquet sports include: 

Anette Dani, Hamilton College, Tennis, D3

Patrick Kenny, University of Richmond, Tennis, D1

Congratulations to all 20 Bronxville student-athletes as they prepare to compete at the collegiate level.  Their stories are a reminder that there is no single path to success.  Passion, perseverance, resilience and an open mind can lead to incredible opportunities that may have seemed out of reach.  Best of luck to the Class of 2026 as they begin this exciting new chapter. 

Go Broncos.