BRONX, NY (PRWEB) September 23, 2014
Monroe College, a national leader in urban and international education, today celebrates the announcement that Orlando Sanchez, a former Monroe College Mustang basketball star, has signed a one-year contract with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) New York Knicks.
Mr. Sanchez, a native of the Dominican Republic and a member of its national team, came to Monroe as a freshman in 2010 and quickly distinguished himself as a forward with the Monroe Mustangs men’s basketball team. During his inaugural season at Monroe, Mr. Sanchez ranked third among the nation’s junior college players in blocked shots and posted an impressive record of 8.5 points per game with an 11.5 rebounding average. He also led the Mustangs to a 31-5 record, the NJCAA Region 15 title, the NJCAA District III Championship and a best-ever third-place finish in the 2011 NJCAA National Championship tournament.
Mr. Sanchez was recognized as an All-American by the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) for the 2010-11 season, and was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament team in the national tournament. He continued his college career at St. John’s University in New York alongside his Monroe teammate Marco Bourgault.
“Orlando’s accomplishments, both on and off the court, speak to the value and success of Monroe’s athletic program,” said Stephen Jerome, President of Monroe College. “Participation has, for Orlando and so many others, provided an opportunity for world-class athletes to bolster their academic credentials while receiving first-rate coaching and training in their respective sports. We continue to produce many athletes who are able to transfer to well known NCAA schools because of the education they received at Monroe.”
Mr. Sanchez agreed that his experience as a Monroe Mustang was vital to his success: “I’m extremely appreciative of the support I have gotten from Monroe College and the people there. My teammates and coaches helped me on the court, and the extra attention I received from professors and friends off the court meant so much to me. Wherever I go, I will always be a Monroe Mustang at heart.”
Launched in 1991, the Monroe College basketball program competes in the NJCAA Division 1. To date, its team has won 7 NJCAA Division I Regional Championships and 5 NJCAA Division I District Championships. Many of its players have gone on to play for NCAA Division I institutions; notably including Ohio University’s Maurice Ndour, Seton Hall’s Stephane Manga, and the University of Nevada’s A.J. West.
Overall, the Monroe College Athletic Department fields teams in fourteen sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women's basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men's and women’s soccer, football, softball, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and women's volleyball. All Monroe teams are members of the National Junior College Athletic Association and participate in NJCAA Region XV.
Monroe Mustangs men’s basketball, football, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and baseball are Division I programs, as are all of the track and field and cross country teams. Monroe women’s basketball and softball teams compete in Division II.
ABOUT MONROE COLLEGE
Founded in 1933, New York-based Monroe College is a nationally ranked private institution of higher learning with a real world learning approach that prioritizes hands-on academic experiences, practical and relevant academic programs, flexible learning schedules, best-in-class instructional technologies, and committed and engaged faculty to ensure that students are well positioned for career success upon graduation. Monroe College graduates more minority students than any other college in New York State.
Monroe College offers Certificate, Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's degree programs. It has campuses in the Bronx, New Rochelle, as well as in the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia, with programs offered through its Schools of Criminal Justice, Information Technology, Nursing, Education, Business & Accounting, Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts, and Allied Health Professions, as well as through its liberal arts and continuing education programs, and its King Graduate School. For more information and admissions criteria, please visit http://www.monroecollege.edu