Riverdale, N.Y. – Two of the most accomplished athletes ever to race through Van Cortlandt Park's historic trails, Erin (Keogh) Breitenbach and Jason DiJoseph have been selected for induction into the Van Cortlandt Park Cross Country Hall of Fame. The Class of 2026 will be honored during the 54th Manhattan University Cross Country Invitational (MUXCI), Presented by HOKA, on Saturday, October 10, in Van Cortlandt Park.

The announcement was made jointly by Todd Witzleben, Head Cross Country, Track & Field Coach at Manhattan University and Meet Director of the Manhattan University Cross Country Invitational, and Lou Vazquez, MUXCI Race Director. 

The Van Cortlandt Park Cross Country Hall of Fame recognizes runners, teams, coaches, administrators, and media members whose achievements and contributions have helped shape the rich tradition of cross country at Van Cortlandt Park. Widely regarded as one of the nation's most historic and celebrated cross country venues, the Bronx course has challenged generations of athletes for more than a century. The Hall of Fame program is co-hosted annually by Manhattan University and the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance.  

Erin (Keogh) Breitenbach 

A graduate of Langley High School (Va.), Erin Keogh Breitenbach established herself as one of the greatest scholastic distance runners of the 1980s. She became the first high school athlete to win back-to-back national cross country championships and left an indelible mark on Van Cortlandt Park. 

At the 1986 Manhattan Invitational, Keogh won the Girls Eastern States Championship while setting a new girls' course record, a mark that stood for nearly two decades. Forty years later, she remains among the ten fastest female performers ever at Van Cortlandt Park, a testament to the historic significance of her achievement. 

“Van Cortlandt Park to me was real cross country running. It was fast but I especially enjoyed Van Cortlandt’s adversity with the rocky paths, hills and woods.” said Breitenbach who later competed at the University of Texas where she earned her PhD in health education.  Erin currently serves as Professor and Program Chair in Health Education Programs at A. T. Still University’s College of Graduate Health Programs in Austin. Texas. 

Jason DiJoseph 

Hailing from Paul VI High School (N.J.), Jason DiJoseph emerged as one of the nation's premier scholastic distance runners during the late 1980s. 

DiJoseph captured the Boys Eastern States Championship at the Manhattan Invitational in 1987 and returned to Van Cortlandt Park in 1989 for one of the most remarkable seasons in meet history. That fall, he successfully defended his individual Eastern States title while leading Paul VI to the team championship. Later that season, he won the Kinney Northeast Regional Championship and finished runner-up at the national championships. His accomplishments throughout New Jersey cross country and track & field later earned him recognition as South Jersey's "Runner of the Century." 

“Racing at Van Cortlandt was special because it was your chance to compete against the very best runners from the Northeast.” Said DiJoseph.  “Sprinting at the start to get in the hills and cowpath.  Then running through the trees and out onto the cinder track with another all-out sprint to the finish.”  

DiJoseph competed at Wisconsin and graduated from LaSalle University in Philadelphia. He followed his dream by enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1995 eventually becoming a commissioned officer in 1997.  He led his own USMC command during the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002. He later joined the FBI as a special agent eventually managing the FBI’s Top Ten Fugitive Program.  Later, he served as senior team leader for the FBI’s Newark (NJ) Division’s Special Weapons & Tactics (SWAT) Team. 

The Manhattan University Cross Country Invitational (MUXCI) is the nation's largest single-day high school cross country meet. The event features 37 races across varsity, junior varsity, sophomore, freshman, intermediate, and youth divisions for both boys and girls. 

The 2026 Van Cortlandt Park Cross Country Hall of Fame induction ceremony, along with all MUXCI races, will be streamed live by MileSplit. 

For more information about the Van Cortlandt Park Cross Country Hall of Fame or the Manhattan University Cross Country Invitational, contact: 

crosscountryinvitational@manhattan.edu