Max Dicker, Jaime Valdez, and Luke Stephens set strong personal bests at the Jim Mitchell Invitational. Photo courtesy of @bxvboystrack. 

By J. Murrer and S. Q. DeJoy 

Dec. 15, 2021: The kickoff meet of the winter track and field season is a special event for the Bronxville teams as it is named after Jim Mitchell, who coached cross country and track and field at the Bronxville School for forty-one years. Unlike most track and field meets that begin in the morning and stretch late into the afternoon, the Mitchell Invitational is an abbreviated meet that provides early-season competition in a limited number of events. 

In the past, the meet was an invitational, but this year the first thirty teams to apply were given a spot. On Saturday at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory, schools of all sizes from Westchester, Rockland, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, and the greater Hudson Valley all gathered in this season-opening event. 

In their first competition of the year, the Bronxville boys’ team had a strong showing in field events with top ten finishes in the high jump, long jump, pole vault, and shot put. 

Three Broncos placed top ten in the long jump: Luke Stephens placed 5th (18-04), Jaime Valdez placed 6th (18-0.5), and Max Dicker placed 10th (17-6). All three long jumpers set personal bests to start the winter season. 

In the shot put, Chris Lockwood placed 2nd with a distance of 35-11.5, and Dicker placed 3rd in the pole vault with a height of 9-6. 

The boys’ team showed they could compete in long distance relays. Iulian Gonzales, Skylar Lau, Kiernan McBride, and Will Hogue placed 6th in the 4x1 mile relay in a time of 20:28.99. 

The Bronxville girls’ team had top five finishes in the running events. Caroline Ircha placed 2nd in the 300m dash in 45.51. In the 600m, Maddy Stupart placed 2nd (1:46.83), and Hope Hershberg placed 4th (1:48.50). Ava Black had a 4th place finish in the 1000m with a time of 3:06.99. 

It was the first time racing indoors since the start of the pandemic. Last year, the Armory was unavailable for meets because it was a vaccination site, and the indoor track teams were forced to hold outdoor meets in the freezing cold. Practices were a challenge, too, because snow covered the track for most of the winter.  

“It was really exciting to be back running,” said senior Co-captain Caroline Ircha. “Most exciting is just being back at The Armory because last year we didn’t have a season at all. We have been working really hard at practice, and I am excited to see how we progress because right now is just the beginning.” 

Ircha also ran in the 4x200m relay along with teammates Remi Mellinghoff, Juliet Winiecki, and Amy Villanueva. The Bronxville girls’ relay placed 3rd in 1:55.19. 

“We are so excited and eager to get faster and better,” said Ircha. “We are looking forward to big meets with good competition. We have been working with our coach on the dynamics with the handoff, and it is looking good.”

Listed below are the athletes who placed in the top fifteen. 

Boys’ Team

55m hurdles: Wyatt Gravier, 8th, 9.87

4x200m relay team: 11th, 1:43.63

High Jump: Luke Stephens, 7th, 5-3

Triple Jump: Julian Gonzales, 13th, 31-4

Shot put: Eamonn O’Reilly, 11th, 28-9.5

Girls’ Team

300m dash: Juliet Winiecki, 12th, 46.07

Long Jump: Danielle Dragoni, 4th, 14-6; Remi Mellinghoff, 5th, 14-4

Triple Jump: R. Mellinghoff, 5th, 29-4; D. Dragoni, 6th, 28-6

Go Broncos.