Achievements: The 2009 and 2010 Girls Eastern States individual champion at the Manhattan College Cross Country Invitational, in Van Cortlandt, Cuffe also captured New York State XC titles in both years and won the 2010 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships as a Cornwall (NY) senior. Her 13:58.1 Van Cortlandt time in 2010 still ranks as the ninth fastest high school time ever.  Representing the USA after winning the gold medal at the USA Junior Cross Country, Cuffe finished 17th at the 2011 IAAF Junior Cross Country Championships in Spain 

A two-time PAC-12 champion at Stanford, Cuffe was the PAC-12’s individual cross country titlist in 2014 & 2016. In 2009, Cuffe was the 5,000-meter titlist at the 2009 USA Junior Outdoor Championships leading to a silver medal at the World Juniors in Trinidad. (photo credit: Stanford Athletics)

Achievements: Director and Head Coach at national cross country powerhouse Fayetteville-Manlius (F-M) for over 25 years.  His teams have won a record 11 (10 girls, one for the boys) Eastern States Championship team titles in Van Cortlandt.  From 2007 through 2021, the F-M girls captured ten Eastern States’ titles.  Additionally, Aris coached 2009 and 2017 F-M girls’ squads that recorded the lowest team score (22 points) for the Girls Eastern States Championship.  On the boys’ side, his 2014 Fayetteville-Manlius squad established and still owns the event’s top team average of 12:37.96 at Van Cortlandt.  At the 2004 Manhattan Invitational, the F-M varsity boys posted the lowest point total (15) with Fayetteville-Manlius capturing the first five places. (photo credit: N. Scott Trimbale)

Achievements: On November 11, 1963, 17-year old Bill Leahy from Boston’s Catholic Memorial High School won the Irish Christian Brothers Meet at Van Cortlandt Park in a time of 12:58.6 becoming the first scholastic runner to record a sub 13-minute time over Van Cortlandt Park’s 2.5-mile course.  A self-described “front runner with not a lot of speed” Leahy enjoyed Van Cortlandt success by sprinting out of the start to ensure his lead heading into the hills.  “I loved the hills and twisting terrain of Van Cortlandt.  It’s a real cross country course and not like these races over golf courses.  Van Cortlandt to me is the Mecca of USA cross country running.”

Leahy competed for Notre Dame and after graduation spent three years teaching at PS 20 in the Bronx.  He eventually graduated from Harvard Law School and went onto a distinguished career as a public defense leader in Massachusetts (1991-2010) and New York (2011-2021.) (photo credit: Marc Bloom)