Ten Bronco Athletes from the Class of 2024 Recruited to Play in College
Luke Arrighi (22) with a save in a game against Blind Brook. Photo by J. Murrer.
By S.Q. DeJoy and J. Murrer
July 3, 2024: By the end of the summer, ten Broncos from the Class of 2024 will pack their bags and head off to college to continue their academic and athletic endeavors.
This year’s college recruits will be playing at colleges and universities up and down the East Coast from as far north as Bates in Maine to southern schools such as Duke and North Carolina. The Bronxville recruits will play at Division 1 and Division 3 schools in a variety of sports including lacrosse, football, squash, baseball, tennis and crew.
There are many twists and turns during the recruiting process and everyone’s story is different. Many of the athletes participated in camps or tournaments where college coaches had an opportunity to see them play.
Squash
Rustin Wiser will play for University of Pennsylvania. Photo submitted by A. Wiser.
Squash player Rustin Wiser started the recruiting process in the fall of his junior year. As the No. 1 nationally-ranked U17 player, Wiser attracted a lot of attention from Ivy League Schools. After placing 4th in junior U19 tournament in the fall of 2022, he accepted an offer from the University of Pennsylvania basing his decision on the people, the team culture, and Penn’s amazing facilities.
Scarlett Hine will play for Bates. Photo submitted by S. Hine.
Many of these athletes start out playing several sports and eventually focus on one. Sometimes serendipity plays a role in their choice. Scarlett Hine, who will play squash at Bates, was introduced to the sport at the Bronxville Field Club during summer camp when she was in elementary school. She decided to stick with squash because it was the only summer camp activity that was air conditioned.
Hine played for the Bronxville squash team starting in 7th grade, and this past year the girls’ squash team was undefeated in their league. Because of the team’s success, the Bronxville girls were bumped up from Division 5 to Division 1 at the U.S. High School Squash Championships.
“We were seeded 16th at Nationals and ended up placing 13th,” said Hine. “We beat the only other public school in Division 1, so basically we wound up being the best public high school squash team in the country.”
Baseball
Connor Kenny will play for Washington and Lee. Photo by David Fenner.
For baseball player Connor Kenny, the recruiting process had its challenges.
“My recruiting process had a lot of ups and down,” said Kenny who was an All-Section player and three-year captain for the Broncos. “One takeaway is you learn how to be told no and how to face adversity.”
Kenny visited Washington and Lee and knew right away that it was where he wanted to be. He was deferred after applying early decision in November and knew he needed to do well academically in the second half of his senior year to boost his chances of getting accepted. In late March, he got the good news.
“I was forced to keep my foot on the gas, and luckily, I did,” said Kenny. “Now I am exactly where I want to be, and I am so thrilled about how it ended up.”
These recruited athletes are very appreciative of the athletic programs at Bronxville.
Lacrosse
Gabbi Bici, Bronxville goalie, will play for Washington and Lee. Photo by David Fenner.
Lacrosse goalie Gabbi Bici, who also heads to Washington and Lee in the fall, is happy to have been a part of such a fun and hardworking Bronxville lacrosse team. She was part of the State Championship team in 2022 and is very proud of the team’s Sectional Semifinal 6-5 win over Pleasantville this past spring.
“I got to learn from an amazing coaching staff and other goalies over the course of my three years on the team. It has helped prepare me to play at the next level,” said Bici.
Luke Arrighi will play for University of North Carolina. Photo submitted by L. Arrighi.
Luke Arrighi, who played goalie for the boys’ lacrosse team, will play at the University of North Carolina in the fall and attributes a lot of his success to his teammates and coaches.
“We are such a small town, and a lot of the success is due to my peers who I work out with day in and out. One of my biggest advocates was Coach Rob Ambrose who really pushed me to my full potential freshman and sophomore years. I would say even if you take away all the lacrosse experience, he was a great role model on how to live my life.”
Arrighi, a three-year captain who set the all-time save record for the Broncos, gives much credit to his Bronco teammates for pushing him in all ways on and off the field to be a better player, person, and leader.
Teddy Gramins (25) will play for Gettysburg. Photo by J. Murrer.
Teddy Gramins, also a lacrosse captain, feels lucky to have been a part of the Bronxville lacrosse program.
“Moving to Bronxville really sparked my love for lacrosse and motivated me to get recruited to play in college. I chose Gettysburg for the competitive lacrosse,” said Gramins.
Football
Coach Patsy Manganelli and Alex Chrostowski at the Golden Dozen dinner. Photo submitted by A. Chrostowski.
Alex Chrostowski, a 6’5” lineman and captain of the Bronxville football team, committed to play at Middlebury and is super excited for the fall. While Alex received offers from several other schools, he chose Middlebury for its academics because he wanted a school that offered a good molecular biology program.
“It is a beautiful location,” said Chrostowski of the school situated in Vermont. “There are so many mountains, and the natural grace of it is so amazing. It is a very successful football program, and the coaching staff was very eager for me to play there.”
Chrostowski, a three-year starter for the Broncos, was a LoHud Super 11 selection last fall and was named to the Golden Dozen, which recognizes players for academic, athletic, and extracurricular accomplishments.
Gabe Maicon (20) in a game against Blind Brook. Photo by David Fenner.
Also playing football in the NESCAC is Gabe Maicon who will be headed to Wesleyan. Maicon was a captain on the 2023 football team and received All-League recognition. After having played together for many years, Chrostowski and Maicon will go up against each other when Wesleyan travels to Middlebury for the opening game of the fall season.
Rowing
Ella Tuck will row at Tufts in the fall. Photo courtesy of N. Tuck.
Rower Ella Tuck competed with City Island Rowing throughout high school and placed 3rd at the New York State Championship in a straight four. She will join the crew team at Tufts in the fall.
“I was looking at D3 schools, and I wanted to focus on schools that I liked regardless of rowing,” said Tuck. “I really love the location and love Boston. It was pretty much the number one school from the beginning.”
Tennis
Victoria McEnroe, daughter of Patrick McEnroe and niece of John McEnroe, is an accomplished tennis player. She won the New York State Championship in 2022 and helped her team win the team State Championships in both 2022 and 2023. McEnroe will be playing for Duke next year.
Success of the Recruited Athletes and Teams
Bronxville teams and individual Bronxville athletes have been incredibly successful over the years. Both Luke Arrighi and Rustin Wiser received All-American honors, and Gabbi Bici and the girls’ lacrosse team made it to states for three years winning the Class D State Championship in 2022.
All ten athletes will be departing for their respective colleges in August after having had stellar athletic careers at Bronxville.
“Before graduation it was a bittersweet feeling leaving Bronxville, and Bronxville will always be a part of who I am,” said Kenny. “I am excited to get to WL in the fall.”
Teddy Gramins echoed Kenny’s sentiments.
“I am lucky to have a home always with the town of Bronxville and especially the lacrosse program. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
Go Broncos.
