The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) has named the College of Staten Island’s Geraldine Thomas as the Hospital For Special Surgery Student-Athlete of the Month for October.
Thomas, a junior, was named the 2005 CUNYAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and helped lead the Dolphins to the semifinals of the 2005 CUNYAC Championship. She went 6-1 in singles and was 5-2 in doubles matches in October.
“Geraldine’s completely amazing.” Said Staten Island head coach Bill Miller. “She has responsibilities at home, working, school, and then tennis. She does everything high quality.”
The Brooklyn Tech graduate enjoyed a 10-2 overall record in singles competition this past season, including a terrific mark of 9-2 at #1 singles. In addition, the Staten Island native went 5-0 in CUNY matches. She also went 9-2 in doubles competition and recorded a singles victory in the semifinal loss versus Hunter, defeating Tracy Hansel, 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-3.
“Geraldine has worked extremely hard to change her game and she really developed into a complete player this season,” Bill Miller explained. “Instead of just pounding the ball from the baseline, she has learned to be more patient, mix-up her shot selections with lobs and drop shots and come to the net more often.”
In the classroom, the Staten Island native has been even more impressive. She is currently maintaining a 3.99 grade point average and plans on attending law school.
“I’m able to balance everything because I have a great family that supports me,” said Thomas. “I have a great husband and I’m one of five siblings. Tennis is something I love to do, and it’s a break from a hectic schedule.”