On Dec. 11, senior Brody Toriello announced his commitment to Marist University to run track & field and cross country via Instagram.
Toriello has been a key part of the Blue Devils boys cross country and track & field teams since his freshman year. Over the past three years he has established himself as one of the programs top runners highlighted by his speed, agility and unstoppable work ethic earning multiple all-conference honors.
Marist is a private university that competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division I level. The beauty of the campus is what initially caught Toriello’s eye, but it was the team culture that solidified his decision. “What made me make my final decision was how well I bonded with the team,” he said.
Toriello will also reunite with former teammate Kaleb Stockmann at Marist, a factor that added to his excitement about the next stage of his running career.
Blue Devils head coach Christopher Tafelski credited the Marist coaching staff and team, stating he knows Toriello will be “well mentored” and will have a “great support system in place.”
Through his time with the Blue Devils, Toriello has earned many accolades with the team including a state championship title in the 4×800 this spring. This past summer, Toriello also broke the school record for the Tamaques 2-mile course with a time of 9:39, beating the previous time by only 3 seconds.
The idea of running at the collegiate level didn’t catch Toriello’s attention until late in his sophomore year. “Towards the end of my sophomore year I realized that I was a strong runner and I thought I could go somewhere with it,” he said. “Then I started thinking about running in college.”
His decision to commit to a Division I program approaches him as both a challenge and an opportunity. “I think committing to a Division I program will be a big step for my future,” he said. “It will be a good opportunity to get better at what I love.”
As he prepares for the transition into college both academically and athletically, Toriello is focused on adjusting to a new environment and schedule. “Once I get to Marist I want to start to get comfortable with the environment and slowly build my way into the college running life. It will definitely be hard with a new schedule but I will make it work eventually,” he said.
Toriello’s excitement, along with his hard work and determination was echoed by both his coach and teammate.
Senior teammate Gavin Royce praised Toriello’s leadership and dedication to the program. “I was really happy to see Brody commit to Marist,” Royce said. “He’s a very good athlete and I’m excited to see what’s next for him. Brody pushes all of the athletes to do their best and never quit, even when it seems impossible.”
“His work ethic is fantastic,” Tafelski said. “He knows what he wants to achieve and he is very motivated to do what is necessary.”
As Toriello is in the final stage of his high school career, he hopes to finish strong before beginning his collegiate career as a Red Fox next fall.
