Bronxville/New Rochelle Skiers Brave the Cold and Send Eight to Sectionals
The Bronxville, New Rochelle, and White Plains skiers and the bus driver at dinner after the last race of the season. Photo by Patrick Clarke.
By S.Q. DeJoy and J. Murrer
Feb. 18, 2026: The Bronxville ski team is the one team that has thrived during this bitterly cold winter. There have been many years where a lack a snow led to an abbreviated season, but snow cover this winter was not an issue for the thirty-three skiers who traveled to both practices and meets at Thunder Ridge, Holiday Mountain, and Hunter Mountain during the 2026 season.
The ski team is a combined Bronxville/New Rochelle program that supports skiers at all levels and welcomes students from 7th through 12th grade. The team also includes individual skiers from White Plains who travel to practices and races with the BXV/NR team.
“Something that Coach Slote and I are most proud of is the way these kids from three different schools really came together as a team,” said Coach Patrick Clarke who has coached the ski team for seven years– five years with Jim Agnello and the past two with Sharon Slote.
“They cheered each other on, shared tips, strategy, and information,” added Coach Clarke. “Some of the best times we had as coaches were just listening to the kids from three different schools and across six grade levels talk, joke, and laugh together on the bus.”
Co-captains Mae Rucci and Josie Leddy at Thunder Ridge. Photo by Patrick Clarke.
Under the leadership of senior Captain Chris Wilmott, the boys’ team consistently came in second in their league. The girls’ team, led by junior co-captains Josie Leddy and Mae Rucci, bounced back and forth between third and fourth place.
“We are a very young team with only two seniors and two or three juniors,” Coach Clarke noted.
One of the youngest skiers on the team is seventh-grader Teddy Goodson, a talented skier with a bright future. Goodson, Wilmott, Hunter Malpass, and Zeke Malpass were major contributors to the boys’ team this season.
Goodson, Hunter Malpass, Liz Pressly, Clara Shanley, and Zara Seamark all qualified for the Section 1 Championship, held last week at Hunter Mountain on a day when the temperature hit above freezing for the first time in more than a week. The sectional race included both giant slalom and slalom events.
“We sent eight total skiers to sectionals, which is a major accomplishment,” said Clarke. “All of those skiers were sophomores or younger and included two from White Plains, five from Bronxville, and one from New Rochelle.”
Hunter Malpass (Bronxville), Jacob Hirschl (New Rochelle), Teddy Goodson (Bronxville), Wyatt Gonzalez (White Plains), Kellen Doherty (White Plains), Clara Shanley (Bronxville), Liz Pressly (Bronxville), and Zara Seamark (Bronxville)before their sectional races at Hunter Mountain on February 10th. Photo by Patrick Clarke.
Sectional skiers from Bronxville were Pressly, Shanley, Seamark, Goodson, and Hunter Malpass. Jacob Hirschl, a New Rochelle student competing on the combined BXV/NR team, also qualified along with White Plains skiers Kellen Doherty and Wyatt Gonzalez. Doherty was among the eleven Section 1 boys who qualified for the New York State Championship after having a strong finish at sectionals. The New York State Championship will take place February 23rd and 24th at Bristol Mountain.
The girls’ team at Thunder Ridge before their race (l to r): Chloe Pisano (New Rochelle), Clara Shanley (Bronxville), Josie Leddy (Bronxville), Struan Peters (Bronxville), Zara Seamark (Bronxville), Liz Pressly (Bronxville), and Mae Rucci (Bronxville).
Go Broncos!
