Season Preview: Briarcliff HS Cross Country

Boys

Junior Stephen Shine will lead the way for Briarcliff.

“Stephen last year was a first-team all-county runner,” Coach Sean Ryan said. “He’s one of the best runners in the area. In the spring , he continued to improve and actually broke the school record in the two-mile. He is just getting better and better. On the boys side, he will be the top runner.”

Senior Andrew Rice is one of the Bears’ standout distance runners, who has been running since his sophomore year. He gives Briarcliff someone who has always been a very consistent, solid cross-country runner and distance runner in track.

Juniors Tyler Cottrell and Jacob Levine have both been with the team since they were freshmen and are expected to contribute again this fall.

Senior AJ Omartian is an all-around runner according to Ryan, who runs middle-distance events in track and has run cross-country for four years.

Senior Logan Fine is probably one of the athletes who has improved the most over his career, according to the Briarcliff coach.

“He works extremely hard,” Ryan said. “He has just gotten better and better every year.”

Junior Sam Cohen has really committed to cross-country this year and his hard work has so far paid off.

“This summer he went to cross-country camp and has improved dramatically,” Ryan revealed.

With all the above talent on hand, Ryan expects his squad to continue to improve. Briarcliff finished second in its league and seventh in its section a year ago.

Ryan said that he is expecting the boys to vie for the championship in their league and do better at the sectional level then they did last year.

“They just continue to improve,” Ryan said. “Over the last three years, our varsity has dropped its average per person involved by almost three minutes and I expect that to drop again this year. We had a high percentage of our runners run this summer which I always find to be a good indicator of continued improvement to come in the competitive season.”

The boys started their season by placing third with 82 points in a meet at Byram Hills Sept. 7. Byram Hills was first with 17 points, followed by Rye Neck with 43 points while, Port Chester was fourth with 0.

Girls

Eighth grader Caroline Pennacchio is an unbelievably dedicated runner and hard worker who ran all summer.

“She runs with our boys,” Ryan said. "She is coming off a very successful seventh-grade year. She is the first athlete—boy or girl—my fourth year coming up, I have run as a middle schooler on the varsity.”

Senior Jessica Linde gives the Bears someone who has been a strong, middle and long distance runner in both cross country and in track.

Senior Nicole Constantine has been successful at track and decided this year to expand into cross country.

Freshman Blake Elwood has done extremely well in Briarcliff’s early season practices and Ryan said that he has high hopes for her this fall.

Juniors Nicole Bugnacki and Chloe Jacobs are also expected to contribute to the Bears cause this season.

“The girls I think will finish competitively in the league, there I hope they finish in the top three and top 10 in the section,” Ryan said.

Ryan’s girls opened up by tying for third with Port Chester in a meet at Byram Hills on Sept. 7. Host Byram Hills won with 22 points followed by Rye Neck with 33.