JAMAICA, NY --- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) With the emphasis on amplifying the student-athlete experience, York College shines a weekly spotlight on a featured Cardinal to provide a look inside their bio. Emperatriz Cesar of women's women's cross country, soccer, tennis, and track & field takes center stage in this week's feature.

Contributing to the York Cardinals women's tennis program from 2019-23, Cesar has played in 26 singles and 26 doubles matches at York. Playing on the No. 4 and No. 5 singles courts her first season, Cesar claimed first career singles win on the No. 5 court at Brooklyn College on October 11. A fixture on the No. 1 court and No. 2 singles courts since 2021, Cesar competed 17 times on the circuit's toughest challenges, triumphing 8-4 against Albertus Magnus in a No. 2 singles matchup last Fall. In doubles, the senior recorded her first victory against St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) on the No. 1 court in her first career match. Over the past three campaigns, Cesar has been the face of No. 1 doubles 17 times, claiming eight games with various combinations. Playing on the No. 3 court in October 2022, the Brooklyn native claimed an 8-6 victory with partner Maryam Khan against Brooklyn College. Cesar's talent and dedication over her career spearheaded her to a 2022 CUNYAC Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Team honor, a 2023 CUNYAC Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Award laurel, and a 2022 York College Women's Tennis Most Outstanding Award.

Filling in on the men's tennis roster for the 2024 season, Cesar competed in eight singles matches on the No. 5 court, and seven doubles contests on the No. 3 level. She had her best outings against Lehman College (Apr. 23), taking Jaden Youngs to a super tiebreak, and triumphing with partner Bisola Babanumi 9-8 on the No. 3 doubles court.   

A cross country regular since 2019, Cesar has run in 17 career meets, registering four Top-2 finishes for the Cardinals. Running in four CUNYAC Championship meets, she set a personal record time of 41:34.4 back in 2019. On the 5k course, the Brooklyn native set a career-best result of 32:51.8 in the Highlander Challenge on Oct 7, 2023. For her dedication over the years, the senior claimed the 2022 York College Women's Cross Country Coaches Award at the year-end awards banquet.

A member of the women's swimming team in the 2019-20 and 2022-23 campaigns, Cesar swam in 15 meets, including a pair of CUNYAC Championships. A fixture in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke categories, she achieved her personal best in the 100-yard freestyle (1:49.61) in the 2023 CUNYAC Championships and claimed a personal best 100-yard backstroke (1:58.45) result in the 2020 CUNYAC Championships. Carrying the women's swimming program in 2023, Cesar finished with a first-place finish, a pair of second-place scores, and a trio of bronze results in four meets that campaign. Her efforts led to the 2022-23 CUNYAC Women's Swimming Sportsmanship Award and the 2022-23 York College Women's Swimming Most Outstanding Award.

Competing in 17 meets and a trio of CUNYAC finals across five track & field seasons, Cesar has recorded four individual top-10 results across all events. In her conference championships, she crossed the finish line with a personal-best 9.39 (9th) in the 60-yard dash (Mar. 1, 2020), and produced a career-high time of 3:15.59 in the 800-meter event (Feb. 27, 2022). A fixture in the track events, Cesar switched her expertise to field events this campaign, generating personal bests in the hammer throw (12.43 meters) and javelin throw (7.76 meters) before the 2024 CUNYAC finale. 

Playing in 49 career games and getting 92 career at-bats for the softball team from 2022-2024, Cesar dominated the offensive charts. In the 2023 campaign, pacing the team with 18 hits, 15 runs, 13 RBI, four extra-base hits, a .346/.460/.500 triple slash line, and smacking the team's lone home run. She even was one of the team's main pitchers, recording 31 innings pitched and seven punchouts. In only eight matches in 2024, Cesar produced a .391/.440/.565 line, recording three extra-base hits, crossing the plate five times, driving home five runs, and stealing 11 stolen bases. 

Her athletic versatility even extended to the soccer pitch, where she played eight games and 703 minutes across two campaigns for the women's soccer program.

Season Awards
2023 CUNYAC Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Award
2022-23 CUNYAC Women's Swimming Sportsmanship Award
2022 CUNYAC Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Team

Department Awards
2022-23 York College Women's Swimming Most Outstanding Award
2022 York College Women's Tennis Most Outstanding Award
2022 York College Women's Cross Country Coaches Award
2022-23 York College 'I Am A Cardinal' Award

Get To Know Emperatriz
Leadership Position: Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President 
Career Goals After Graduation: Private Tennis Coach with high certifications.

My Favorite…
Movie: Sanky Panky
TV Show: Family Guy
Meal: Breakfast
Post-Game Food: Burger
Candy: Twix
Cereal: Froot Loops
Color: Green
York Professor: Professor Janice Capuana
Spot On Campus: Library
Website: shein.com
Hype Song Before A Game: Explosions (Ellie Goulding)

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