FLUSHING, NY — (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College seniors Cherub Autar, Jafet Gomez, Jamelia Jordan and Glenver Stuart were four of the 42 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honorable Mentions selections recognized Thursday at the 37th annual Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony. The CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award recognizes the conference's best and brightest student-athletes, who not only excel in athletics, but succeed in the classroom as well. 
 
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 2023-24, the four student-athletes to earn the distinct honor were Jae'Oni Davis (Hostos Community College), Cooper Moran (Hunter College), Philip Park (Queensborough Community College) and Carly Quint (Baruch College).

Autar, a two-year women's volleyball contributor at York, has compiled a 3.681 grade-point average as a marketing major. The 3-time Dean's List honoree was recognized as a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team® selection as a senior. Hailing from Georgetown, Guyana, Autar competed in 35 matches and played 110 sets during her career, leading the program with 144 assists and finishing second with 151 digs since 2022. In 2023, Autar set a career-high with 90 digs, including scooping up a personal-best 21 on Senior Night against Yeshiva University (Nov. 6). Autar was named to the Fall 2022 and 2023 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll and garnered the 2022 York College Women's Volleyball Newcomer of the Year Award.

Gomez has constructed a 3.264 grade-point average as a computer science major at York. Playing two seasons (2022-23) with the men's soccer team, Gomez started in 16 of his 21-career games, receiving 1,410 minutes of action. Residing in the Jamaica section of Queens, Gomez is a versatile player who transitioned seamlessly from midfield to defense. In 2023, the senior played a prominent role in both matches against Medgar Evers College, producing a heroic defensive effort in the 2-1 victory (Oct. 19) that gave the Cardinals their first CUNYAC win of the season. Hosting Pratt Institute (Nov. 3) in his final career contest, Gomez generated his first career point with an assist to help York to a 1-1 draw.  Academically, Gomez garnered a spot on the Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll list, and has twice been named to the Dean's List.

Jordan has achieved a 3.691 grade-point average as an environmental health science major at York. A three-year member of the women's tennis team, Jordan competed in a total of 11 singles and 12 doubles matches. Playing on the Nos. 2, 3, and 5 singles courts in the 2023 season, across five singles matchups, Jordan claimed 23 games, a 21-game improvement from the 2022 results. The senior also competed as a member of the women's volleyball team in 2022. Academically, Jordan is a 3-time CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection and a 3-time Dean's List honoree.

Stuart has served York as an integral part of the men's cross country (2021-23), indoor track & field (2021-24), outdoor track & field (2022-24), and volleyball (2023-24) programs while generating a 3.113 grade-point average as a marketing major.  Stuart has received CUNYAC Sportsmanship Team recognition for his participation in cross country (2022, 2023), indoor track & field (2023-24), and outdoor track (2023, 2024).  Totaling 29 points in his three CUNYAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship appearances (2022-24), Stuart has garnered All-Star status in 2023 and 2024 for his performances in the 800-meter run. Stuart claimed first-place (2:08.68) in the 800-meter event at the 2024 CUNYAC Championships and finished second (2:09.67) in the 2023 year-end conference meet as part of a 12-point day. The 2x CUNYAC All-Star also generated one point for his result in the 400-meter event (55.06) in the 2024 conference finale. In 2022, Stuart medaled by capturing third place (2:16.06) in the 800-meter event for six points. The senior also competed at three CUNYAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, producing a total of 16 points, including a pair of third-place finishes in the 800-meter race to medal at the 2022-23 (2:08.65) and 2023-24 (2:11.57)  championship meets.  Stuart ran in 15 cross country meets in three seasons at York, capped off by a career-best and team-leading 27th place finish in 34:24.5 at the 2023 CUNYAC Championship.  He ran at all three CUNYAC Championship meets during his time as a Cardinal, and was also York's second finisher (34th place) in 2022.  Stuart took the court in 28 matches (86 sets) in two seasons as a member of the men's volleyball team, including leading York in blocks (8) during the 2023 season.  Residing in the Jamaica section of Queens, Stuart leads in the role of secretary on the 2023-24 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Executive Board.

York's four honorees in 2023-24 give the Cardinals 65 all-time Scholar-Athlete of the Year selections.

In addition, the CUNYAC recognized the league's top award winners, as York's  Emperatriz Cesar, Katryna Francois, Abubakar Khamis and Aidony Nivar were featured for their accolades in their respective sports.

Francois dominated during the women's outdoor track & field season to be named the 2024 Track Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Cardinal to earn this laurel since Kadisha Wickham in 2010.  At the CUNYAC Championship meet, Francois won the 200 and 400-meter dash races, finished third in the 100-meter sprint, and sparked the Cardinals to second place in the 4x400-meter relay. Read more about Francois' award.
 
Nivar earned the CUNYAC Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year after contributing 14.2 points (ranked 9th in CUNYAC), 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game (ranked 4th in CUNYAC) while shooting 42.1 percent (109-of-262) from the floor and a scorching 37.6 percent (65-of-173) from 3-point distance that ranked 51st in the nation.  He became York's first Rookie of the Year since Devine Chisholm in 2019.  Read more about Nivar's award. 

Cesar became York's fourth CUNYAC Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Award winner in five seasons after leading the Cardinals in all 11 matches throughout the 2023 season. On the No. 1 singles and doubles courts.  This is Cesar's second-consecutive tennis honor, as she was recognized as a member of the 2022 CUNYAC Sportsmanship Team.  No stranger to the Sportsmanship Award, Cesar was previously named the 2022-23 women's swimming recipient. Read more about Cesar's award.

For the second-straight year, York collected the CUNYAC Men's Tennis Sportsmanship Award, as Khamis was the 2024 recipient of this distinction.  Tabbed to the 2024 CUNYAC Men's Tennis Preseason Player to Watch list, Khamis competed in all 11 matches as a fixture on the No. 2 doubles and No. 3 singles courts.  Read more about Khamis' award.

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