Men's Basketball 3/12/2015 9:43:48 AM

Baruch’s Ryan Markoe Earns February’s HSS Scholar-Athlete of the Month Award

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Ryan Markoe
Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College
Junior with a 3.94 GPA in Finance
Men's Basketball Guard from Staten Island, NY and Staten Island Technical High School

Ryan Markoe has been named February's CUNYAC/Hospital for Special Surgery Scholar-Athlete of the Month. The guard from Baruch College has made a name for himself as a member of the Bearcats’ men’s basketball team while maintaining a strong GPA in one of Baruch’s hardest majors.

“I was very excited when I found out,” said Markoe. “I knew what the accomplishment had meant after Kristen had won it and upon finding out I immediately called my parents.” Ryan’s sister is Kristen Markoe, a senior forward for the Hunter College women’s basketball team who won Scholar-Athlete of the Month in January.

Markoe has always had a passion for working with numbers and money, so attending Baruch for a degree in Finance was a natural fit. His high school pushed him to enroll in the Macaulay Honors College, and through five semesters at Baruch he’s maintained an impressive 3.94 GPA. This summer, he’s considering an opportunity to study abroad in Spain.

"Ryan is the epitome of the term 'student-athlete'," said his coach John Alesi. "He is as cerebral a player as I have ever coached and is a wonderful representative of our program and college community both on and off the court. I am very pleased to see him recognized as Scholar-Athlete of the Month."

On the court, Markoe is the starting guard for the Baruch Bearcats. During the month of February, Markoe averaged 9.3 points per game while playing 32 minutes per game. He excelled shooting three-pointers last month, shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc. Markoe also made 24 of 29 free throw attempts, including going a perfect 9-for-9 in the CUNYAC Championship thriller. The Staten Island native scored a career-high 23 points in the double-overtime game to help his team defeat Brooklyn College 90-83 and earn their first CUNYAC title since 2000.

Look out for Markoe to continue impressing both on the court and in the classroom the rest of this postseason and into next year.

CUNYAC/Hospital for Special Surgery Honorable Mentions (In order of submission)
All Honorable Mention information is courtesy of the institution’s sports information staff

Harrison Foley at City College of New York
Freshman with a 3.83 GPA in Civil Engineering
Men’s Indoor Track & Field thrower from Stony Point, NY and North Rockland High School

In just his first season with CCNY, Foley has dominated both on and off the field of play. In the classroom, Foley boasts a 3.83 GPA in the intense major of Civil Engineering. The four-time CUNYAC Rookie of the Week and three-time ECAC Rookie of the Week had an excellent February, throwing for a distance of 12.78 meters in the shot put in the CTC Championships and scoring in the finals. Foley also threw a distance of 9.22 meters in the weight throw at the Deneault Memorial at Cornell, one of his best distances of the season.

Allie Bernasconi at Lehman College
Junior with a 3.550 GPA in Sociology
Community College Women’s Track & Field Sprinter from Beacon, NY and John Jay High School

The sprinter holds a 3.5 GPA and also has the fastest time in the country in the 400 meters (56.67) and is 15th in the 200 (25.61). The junior has also been the named to the Outdoor Track & field All-Star team. In Addition, the Beacon native has been a major contribution for her team who is ranked number 6 in the nation.

Tamika Taylor at York College
Senior with a 3.737 GPA in Accounting
Women’s Basketball Guard from Bronx, NY and Thurgood Marshall High School

The guard averaged 13.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during the month of February. In February, the senior also led her team in every major statistical category while holding a 3.7 GPA. For the season, Taylor is averaging 15.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Megan Campbell at Brooklyn College
Senior with a 3.8 GPA in English Physical Education
Women's Basketball from Tobyhanna, PA and Pocono Mountain East

As a senior at Brooklyn College, Campbell ranks fifth in the conference in scoring and seventh in rebounding. The forward was named the CUNYAC/HSS Scholar-Athlete of the Month for December 2014 and is also a two-time CUNYAC First Team All-Star. The Physical Therapy major holds a 3.8 GPA and was 2015 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team.

Trisha Toussaint at Bronx Community College
Freshman with a 3.6 GPA in Accounting
Women’s Basketball Guard from Bronx, NY and Theatre Arts Production Company High School

Toussaint holds a 3.6 GPA and is a CUNYAC All-Star. The Guard is averaging 9.5 points per game and 5 rebounds and has helped her team to a CUNYAC Championship.

Jamal Chance at Medgar Evers College
Junior with a 3.35 GPA in Business (Economics)
Men’s Volleyball Outside Hitter from Gouyave, Grenada and Presentation Brothers College

The junior is a four-sport student-athlete who holds a 3.3 GPA and has been awarded to the Dean’s List. The Outside Hitter has also been named Most Improved Athlete and has been awarded the Sportsmanship Award both in 2014. Chance excels academically while doing four sports and also helping with the campus community.

Estalin Cespedes at Hostos Community College
Freshman with a 3.55 GPA in Liberal Arts
Community College Men’s Basketball Guard from Barahona, Dominican Republic and Satellite Academy

The freshman holds a 3.55 GPA and is also one-time CUNYAC Rookie of the week. The guard has 3 30+ point games this season and had his career-high of 41 points in a game vs Sullivan. Cespedes is averaging 19.9 points per game has helped his team to a 7-4 record and to a Region XV Title.

Lindsey Pero at Hunter College
Sophomore with a 3.94 GPA in English
Women’s Swimming & Diving Fly/Sprint from Brooklyn, NY and Midwood High School

The sophomore holds a 3.94 GPA and has made the Dean’s List 3 straight semesters. The Brooklyn native was CUNYAC Swimmer of the week for the week of 1/13/15, 2-time CUNYAC All-star and received All Conference Honorable Mentions. This season Pero helped her 400 freestyle relay team to set a new Hunter record and Hunter also won the CUNYAC Championships.

Sarah Edwards at LaGuardia Community College
Freshman with a 3.2 GPA in Liberal Arts
Community College Women’s Basketball Power Forward from Queens, NY and Thomas Edison High School

The power forward currently has a 3.2 GPA. She was named CUNYAC Rookie of the Week in 2015 which was well deserved. Her work ethic and constant striving for excellence has shown everyday of her freshman year. She gladly participated in Feeding the Homeless on Thanksgiving Morning in 2014 with the rest of her teammates.