CUNYAC Honors Best and Brightest at 2022-23 Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner

(Photo courtesy of Tony Correa)

Flushing, New York - 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 Thursday evening, May 18, at Terrace on the Park.

In a tradition that began when the conference was founded in 1986-87, the CUNYAC annually recognizes four of its graduating student-athletes, rich in academics and athletics, as its Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

Two 2022-23 CUNYAC Community College student-athletes who earned Scholar-Athlete of the Year were Borough of Manhattan Community College  El Hadji Gaye and Queensborough's Valerie Muse.

Gaye 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 continued as he received BMCC Foundation Inc. Scholarship honors three times in 2019, 2021, and 2022 to go along with CUNYAC Fall Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll accolades in 2022.

"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," said Gaye.

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 an exciting fashion. He assisted on the game-winning goal off a corner in the 2019 CUNYAC Final, 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.

Muse was a two-sport student-athlete, participating in women's volleyball and women's indoor & outdoor track and field. 

"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."

The Public Health major posted a 3.816 grade-point average during her time at Queensborough Community College, garnering 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: 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.

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 was presented a plaque amongst other trinkets throughout the evening.

Here is the list of the CUNYAC Community College Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention winners:

2022-23 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honorable Mentions