By J. Murrer and S. Quinn DeJoy

Sept. 23, 2026

The Boys’ and Girls Cross Country Teams

The Bronxville boys' and girls' cross country teams are off to a strong start this fall, with impressive performances in their first three meets, including several individual victories and top team finishes.

“We are really excited about how the season is starting off and feel the team is in a good spot,” said Coach Brian Halling. “We have some great young talent, mixed with a few seasoned veterans, which is making for an exciting season so far.”

The Broncos opened their season on September 8 at the Bronxville Mega Dual Meet at Van Cortlandt Park, competing against Eastchester, Pelham, Hastings and Tuckahoe. Both Bronxville teams finished first, with the boys placing five runners among the top seven and the girls placing three among the top seven.

Junior Matthew Jensen won the boys' race in 13:30.50, followed by senior Nate Deutsch in 2nd (13:55.40) and sophomore Max Ficazozla in 3rd (14:47.60). Freshman Sam Greenfield finished 5th (15:03.70), and junior James Conlon placed 7th (15:42.10). The Broncos finished with just 18 points, well ahead of Eastchester (56), Pelham (73), Hastings (85) and Tuckahoe (120).

On the girls' side, sophomore Mia Horgan took first place in 15:51.20. Senior Carina Winiecki finished 5th (16:50.50), followed by senior Emerson Dennis in 7th (17:27.80) and senior Ella McCalla in 9th (17:31.30). Sophomore Elizabeth Conlon rounded out the Broncos' top five, finishing 13th (20:02.70). Bronxville won the meet with 29 points, followed by Eastchester (37), Hastings (76) and Pelham (81).

Bronxville and Irvington Renew Their Rivalry

At the Section 1 Conference 3 Extravaganza at Woodlands High School, the Broncos faced a larger field, with 141 boys and 74 girls competing.

The boys' race featured a matchup between Bronxville and Irvington, two teams that have developed one of the closest rivalries in Section 1 Class C cross country over the past several seasons.

The Broncos won three consecutive sectional titles from 2022 through 2024, including a three-point victory over Irvington in 2023. Last fall, the Bulldogs turned the tables, edging Bronxville by the same three-point margin, 36–39, to win the 2025 sectional championship.

This season's first meeting was another competitive race. Jensen and Deutsch, who placed 1st and 2nd at counties last year, crossed the finish line virtually together again this year, taking 1st and 2nd in 18:37.51 and 18:37.60, respectively. Irvington, however, placed three runners among the top ten and won the team competition, 43–60. Keio finished third with 122 points.

The Bronxville girls won their team competition with 39 points, ahead of Irvington (74) and Hastings (80). McCalla led the Broncos with a 4th-place finish in 22:36.94, followed by Horgan in 7th (23:30.94), Winiecki in 8th (23:33.12), Odessa Dennis in 9th (23:41.63), and Charlotte Dorr in 11th (23:48.68).

“We’re happy to have most of our top runners returning as well as some new freshmen, who are already proving to be contributors,” said Coach Alex Barraco. “Coming off last year's state championship win, we are looking forward to another great season.”

Broncos Take on a Larger Field at the Regis Invitational

The Broncos continued their strong start on September 19 at the Regis Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park. The meet attracted runners from 48 schools across the New York metropolitan area, including Fordham Prep, Don Bosco and Archbishop Stepinac. In a field of mostly Catholic schools, Bronxville and New Rochelle were the only Section 1 public schools in attendance.

In the boys' varsity 2.5-mile race, Jensen finished 7th out of 140 runners in 13:11.80, while Deutsch placed 15th in 13:29.30. Bronxville had a strong finish in the team competition placing third with 97 points, behind McKee/Staten Island Tech (70) and Monsignor Farrell (83).

The girls also turned in an impressive performance.  Horgan, the reigning Class C New York State Champion, won the individual title in 15:40.31, and Winiecki placed 4th in 16:57.24 in a field of 102 runners.  The Bronxville team finished fourth in the varsity race.

Bronxville's younger runners were equally impressive. In the freshman 2,500-meter race, which featured 106 competitors, Grace Hein finished 4th in 10:29.87, followed closely by Zadie Doria in 5th (10:32.21), and Odessa Dennis in 6th (10:35.42).

With three meets behind them, the Broncos are looking ahead to this weekend's Admiral Harrier XC Invitational in Milton, New York. The meet will give the team an opportunity to race on the course that will host the Westchester County Championship later this fall.

Go Broncos.