Teammate Tuesday 🏅

Meet Emerson Dennis, a junior at Bronxville High School who competes in the 800m and 1500m, and was part of Bronxville’s 2025 Cross Country State Championship team.

Emerson stays motivated by thinking about the people around her. “When running becomes difficult, I remind myself how I want to become the best athlete possible to help my team reach our goals — sectionals, states, and even nationals.”

Her journey with running didn’t start with love.“ At first, I hated running. I joined cross country on a whim in middle school and wanted to quit because I wasn’t good. I only started to like it when I saw improvement — when I could jog a full mile without stopping. I loved the feeling of progress, and that’s still what drives me today.”

Like many athletes, Emerson’s biggest challenge has been the mental side of competition. “I’m really hard on myself. After disappointing races, I used to label myself as slow or washed and it made me want to quit. Now I use those feelings to motivate myself and remind myself I can do better next time.”

One of her proudest moments came with her team’s state championship win.

“I was proud to help guide the team as a runner and a mentor, especially to younger athletes like my sister. Winning states was one of our longtime goals.”

Her advice: “You need to believe in yourself. Running is such a mental sport, so go into races with confidence rather than fear. Race with a competitive mindset — you never know when you’re going to break through expectations.”

🎧 Go-to music: Whatever her teammates are listening to — “You can learn a lot about someone from their music.”

No athlete should carry it alone.

From your teammate 🤍