FLUSHING, NY --- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) has selected York College women's track & field senior Emmaly Merced as the CUNYAC/Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Scholar-Athlete of the Month for March 2023.  Merced's distinction is York's first 2022-23 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month award winner after the Cardinals produced three honorees in 2021-22. 

As a first-year member of the Cardinals' cross country and track & field programs, Merced is majoring in music with a minor in psychology. The senior carries a 3.992 grade-point average.

When awarded the honor, Merced replied:

"This is actually a surprise as I never would have thought that I would be named Scholar-Athlete of the Month! It feels like my hard work is paying off and it is great to be recognized."

Merced made her debut as York College opened its women's outdoor track & field season at the Queens College Season Opener (Mar. 25). The Bronx native contributed to a pair of second-place relay finishes in the 4x100 meter (1:01.27) and 4x400 meter (5:26.50). Both relay performances rank among the top of the CUNYAC.

During the indoor track & field season, Merced generated points in the 400 and 800-meter races, while helping York medal in the 4x400 relay with a third-place finish, as the Cardinals have now produced top-3 in that event at four-consecutive CUNYAC Championship meets. Throughout the cross-country season, Merced was key to the program's success as she was York's top finisher in two meets while following in second in the other five meets. 

"Emmaly brings leadership to the team that we all can appreciate, from teammates to coaches. She has the ability to be a really good student-athlete and is steadily improving. I am proud to have her on our team as we continue to rebuild York's track and field program," said head coach Jamal Wilkerson.

Off the track, Merced is an exceptional student. She's a six-time Dean's List honoree and CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll member.

When asked how she balances academics and athletics, she replied: "Honestly, it has been hard to balance my academics and athletics. My education is always important to me and comes first. I recently had to put a pause on track for two weeks so that I could rehearse and perform my recital for a capstone project. Now that I have completed it, I can focus on track again!" 

Her blend of excellence on and off the court embodies the meaning of being a Division III student-athlete.  When asked about her leadership, Merced replied:

"My leadership thrives on companionship. I see myself as a supportive leader to my teammates, knowing that we will always be there for each other. With graduation nearing, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter each day. That motivates me to keep pushing with academics and track because I want to leave knowing that I contributed to my team and that I am setting myself up for success."

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