2022-23 Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner Program
FLUSHING, N.Y. (May 19, 2023) – The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) awarded its most prestigious honors – the 2022-23 Scholar-Athletes of the Years – at the 36th Annual Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner at Terrace on the Park on May 18.
In a tradition that began when the conference was first founded in 1986-87, the CUNYAC annually recognizes four of its graduating student-athletes, rich in both academics and athletics, as its Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
In 2022-23, the four student-athletes to earn the distinct honor were BMCC's
El Hadji Gaye, Queensborough's
Valerie Muse, Hunter's
Robert Novo and John
Jay's Katie Healy.
In addition to recognizing our four Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the CUNY Athletic Conference honored 41 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honorable Mentions along with 21 All-Americans from the 2022-23 athletic year. Each were presented a plaque amongst other trinkets throughout the evening.
The 2022-23 CUNY Athletic Conference presented its 2nd Annual Eileen Lyons Service Appreciation Award, in honor of the late longtime CUNYAC Administrative Assistant. Lyons worked at the conference office upon the league's official inception in 1987 and was instrumental in the establishment of the CUNYAC office and the annual Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards Dinner. The recipient of this year's award,
Bruce Filosa, contributed over four decades of service to Brooklyn College and retired from his position as the Director of Athletics, Recreation, and Intramurals earlier this year.
The 2022-23 CUNY Athletic Conference Appreciation Award was presented to Baruch College student-athlete and CUNYAC SAAC President,
Julia Cuttone.
El Hadji Gaye,
CUNYAC Community College Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Full Story – Video
BMCC Men's Soccer, 3.98 GPA, Major: Engineering Science
Over the past two years, sophomore El Hadji Gaye's journey to BMCC from Senegal, West Africa, has been one of perseverance and dedication, demonstrating it is not how you start but how you finish.
From the time he arrived on campus at Borough of Manhattan Community College in the Fall of 2019, Gaye made an immediate impact on the field and in the classroom. After learning about Gaye's road to BMCC, it was no surprise the heights he would reach from day one.
"Coming from Senegal, West Africa, with a high school diploma, I planned to go to college immediately and continue my studies. Unfortunately, my path did not go the way I had planned. As an international student, I didn't understand English very well when I came to the US in 2016. I wanted to attend college and had to learn English, but after three years, I finally established a path toward it by buying a TOEFL book and studying English on my own for six months without any testing preparation and passed the exam allowing me to apply to college."
Gaye has never looked back as the Engineering Science major has performed exceptionally in the classroom, maintaining a 3.98 cumulative grade point average, and earning a spot on the Dean's list honors two times during four of his semesters at BMCC. His academic accolades do not end there, with Gaye receiving BMCC Foundation Inc. Scholarship honors three times in 2019, 2021, and 2022 and 2022 CUNYAC Fall Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll accolades.
"Being a student-athlete has taught me the importance of setting and working tirelessly toward achieving goals. Despite the circumstances, anything is possible with dedication, hard work, and a positive mindset."
As a two-year member of the Panthers men's soccer program, Gaye made his presence known during his 27 career appearances in a BMCC uniform. During his time on the pitch for BMCC, Gaye was Mr. Clutch for his team-leading the program to their 12th and 13th conference championships in exciting fashion. He assisted on the game-winning goal off a corner in the 2019 CUNYAC Final and buried both regulation goals and netted the game-clinching penalty kick during the 2022 Conference Championship. He earned the 2022 CUNYAC CC Men's Soccer Championship MVP award for his efforts and also became the sixth player in program history to receive CUNYAC Player of the Year accolades.
Valerie Muse,
CUNYAC Community College Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Full Story – Video
Queensborough Women's Volleyball, Track & Field, 3.816 GPA, Major: Public Health
Valerie Muse continues Queensborough's remarkable legacy on having a student-athlete being named a CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award-winner going, serving as another example of the high standard that has been set on the campus in Bayside, Queens.
Valerie is a two-sport student-athlete, participating in women's volleyball, and women's indoor & outdoor track and field. She currently majors in Public Health with a 3.816 grade-point average.
"Before admission to Queensborough Community College, I studied their academics and athletics and pondered upon a 2020 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete, Leslie Flores, a student-athlete at Queensborough Community College playing volleyball, and I was immediately inspired," said Muse. "It's amazing to see that CUNYAC admires and appreciates the role of being a student-athlete."
In her time at Queensborough, Valerie has garnered much success both on and off the field of play. At the 2022 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, she earned All-America status in three events, including the Heptathlon, 4x400m and 4x800m relays. In addition, she was a part of the Tigers' 2021 squad that secured a sixth consecutive CUNYAC Championship, a fifth straight NJCAA Region XV title and a fifth straight Northeast District crown, as Queensborough once again returned to compete in the NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
Off the field, Valerie is the Co-Founder of a non-profit volleyball organization for diverse populations in the Elmont community, the Long Island Knights. She's also a member of various student organizations on campus, including serving as President of Queensborough's Black Student Union. Valerie is also a member of the CSTEP Research Club, Environmental Stability Club, Students Health Club, Justice Now Club, ASAP Book Club and Phi Beta Kappa among others.
Robert Novo,
CUNYAC Senior College Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Full Story – Video
Hunter Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field, 3.97 GPA, Major: Biochemistry
Robert Novo embodies the true definition of being a NCAA Division III student-athlete. As a four-year member of Hunter's cross country and track & field programs, Novo has excelled both on the track and in the classroom.
A two-year team captain, Novo has helped Hunter win the last three CUNYAC Men's Cross Country titles, earning league All-Star status at the last two championship races. On the track, Novo is a five-time CUNYAC All-Star and was named the 2023 CUNYAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Track Performer of the Year. In 2022, he led Hunter to a gold medal effort in the distance medley relay.
"I think what made me and the team so successful is the consistency we put in. We show up every day at 8:00am for our practices, five days a week. On weekends we go to our races. I try to remind myself and my teammates that every time we step on the racetrack or cross country course that it's an opportunity to change your life. You can set a new record; you can show yourself that you achieved a new fitness level that you never achieved before. I think seeing the fruits of your labor is really inspiring."
"Robert is who I call an inspirational leader," said Hawks head coach Marvin Hawkins. "Everyone follows what he does. He's very humble, he likes to win. As an athlete, he's outstanding. He sets the tone for how the meet is going to go. His leadership has been great. I tell people there's no replacement for Rob and he will definitely be missed."
As a student at the Lexington Avenue campus, Novo is a Macaulay Honors College student. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY is a highly selective college where New York's most promising students receive the financial and academic support to realize their leadership potential and graduate debt-free. Novo is set to graduate this May with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry, boasting a strong 3.97 grade-point average.
Katie Healy,
CUNYAC Senior College Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Full Story – Video
John Jay Women's Soccer and Women's Basketball, 3.87 GPA, Major: Criminal Justice
One of the most decorated student-athletes in John Jay history, Katie Healy concluded her stellar athletic career as a Bloodhound by earning the 2022-23 CUNY Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
Healy becomes just the third Bloodhound in program history to win the award, joining Duwayne Boyce (1986-87 | Men's Soccer & Tennis) and Kerry Lewis (1992-93 | Women's Basketball, Softball, Volleyball).
"For us, Katie defines the word consistency," commented John Jay head women's basketball coach, Lynda Day. "Throughout her career, her skills consistently improved, her work ethic grew as she tried to master new skills, and, most importantly her consistency in the classroom paved the foundation for future success for the rest of her life."
Healy was selected to the 2022-23 Academic All-District Women's Basketball Team, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC) to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. It was also announced that the Merrick, NY native earned a spot on the Academic All-District NCAA Division III squad.
She became the first John Jay student-athlete to receive the accolade on multiple occasions. This past November, as a member of the women's soccer team, she was recognized as an All-District honoree as well. Additionally, she became the first Bloodhound to be named to an Academic All-America team, as she garnered Second Team honors from CSC as a member of the Bloodhounds soccer team.
"Katie's presence has been vital because of her ability, her character, her willingness to lead by example, her selflessness all while being humble and hardworking has progressed every year," commented John Jay head women's soccer coach, Ajani Clunie. "She raised the winning mentality of all her teammates to succeed daily by challenging them to be the best versions of themselves. Her focus and attention to detail on the field has also correlated in the classroom with her academic success."
On the hardwood, Healy garnered a plethora of accolades, most recently, capping her career with a second straight Second Team honor from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers' Association (MBWA). She is just the third member of the women's basketball program to earn MBWA honors, joining Nyasha Howard (2020-21) and recent John Jay College Hall of Famer, Jamecia Forsythe (2012-13).
The senior forward was also named to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Second Team for the second time in her tenure. Healy, who was named CUNYAC First Teamer, led the team in nearly every offensive category while becoming just the second player in program history to amass 1,000 career points (1,599) and 1,000 career rebounds (1,125).
On the pitch, the senior midfielder continued to rewrite the program's history books, while leading John Jay to their third straight CUNYAC league championship.
2022-23 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honorable Mentions
| Name |
School |
| Andrea Alarcon |
Lehman |
| Pablito Alulema |
LaGuardia |
| Anika Amdahl |
John Jay |
| John Ananoria |
Baruch |
| Amir Assani |
CCNY |
| Omar Bassiouni |
Medgar Evers |
| Taylor Bellmon |
York |
| Francesco Bonvini |
Kingsborough |
| Cassidy Canberg |
CCNY |
| Randolph Charles |
Hostos |
| Diego Colon-Perez |
Hunter |
| Sarah Decker |
Hunter |
| Xheni Doci |
BMCC |
| Lanasia Drain |
Hostos |
| Anesa Feratovic |
Baruch |
| Michael Fernandez |
John Jay |
| Habibu Gado |
CCNY |
| Tran Hennessy |
Lehman |
| Celine Hodge |
Kingsborough |
| Peter Hoffmann |
Queensborough |
| Dan Kenny |
John Jay |
| Ayrton Lagos |
Queensborough |
| Kimberly Lau |
Hunter |
| Robert Lay |
Kingsborough |
| Jordy Leon |
Bronx |
| Jasmine Li |
Queensborough |
| Jimmy Lopez |
Lehman |
| Fidel Maldonado Jr. |
Brooklyn |
| Emmaly Merced |
York |
| Djelili Okoro |
York |
| Steven Patterson |
Baruch |
| Nancy Pham |
Brooklyn |
| Monica Prado Capon |
Brooklyn |
| Jillian Quinn |
Baruch |
| Rashad Ramserran |
Hostos |
| Natala Reid-Small |
Kingsborough |
| Alexa Rodriguez |
CCNY |
| Heder Rodriguez |
Lehman |
| Luis Sanchez |
Bronx |
| Kristina Sierra |
York |
| Garron Thomas |
Medgar Evers |
2022-23 CUNYAC All-Americans
| Name |
School |
| David Adekoya |
Queensborough |
| Kayla Attis |
Queensborough |
| Stanley Cazeau |
Queensborough |
| Ange Compere |
Queensborough |
| Paul Douglas |
Queensborough |
| Ayoub Elfahim |
Queensborough |
| Justin Eweka |
Queensborough |
| Isaiah Geathers |
Lehman |
| Bryan Godette |
Queensborough |
| Aiyana Hicks |
Hostos |
| Peter Hoffmann |
Queensborough |
| Josanne Lewis |
BMCC |
| Renaediaz Miller |
Queensborough |
| Chrisnel Nicolas |
Queensborough |
| Darlyn Pacheco |
Queensborough |
| Nickolas Pirovolikos |
Queensborough |
| Andrea Rivera |
Queensborough |
| Shivangi Sharma |
Queensborough |
| LeAndre Simpson |
Queensborough |
| Anthony Walters |
Queensborough |
| Kafilat Yekinni |
Queensborough |
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