Skip To Main Content

Baruch College Athletics

Bearcats Schedule

Composite Calendar
Kristen Zhou - CUINYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month for January 2024

Kristen Zhou Named CUNYAC/HSS Scholar-Athlete of the Month for January 2024

| By: Written by CUNYAC Sports Information
FLUSHING, N.Y. (Feb. 22, 2024) – The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) and Hospital for Special Surgery have selected Baruch College student-athlete Kristen Zhou as CUNYAC/HSS Scholar-Athlete of the Month for January 2024.
 
Zhou is in her second season as a member of the Bearcats women's swimming & diving program. She owns a 3.806 grade-point average while majoring in accounting with a minor in Law & Policy.
 
When awarded the honor, Kristen replied: "It is such an honor to be named Scholar-Athlete of the Month. I am very grateful to have my efforts recognized. I was raised with the mindset of always giving my best and that is something that I have brought with me into my college and athletic career. Whether it is in practice, in class, or my career ambitions I always give whatever I can."
 
Zhou had a strong month of January, competing in six meets. She set personal-bests in four races, including the 1,000-yard freestyle (14:46.55), the 800-SC meter freestyle (12:48.91), the 400-SC freestyle (6:23.73) and the 100-SC meter freestyle (1:15.47). At the CUNYAC Swimming & Diving Championships, she helped the Bearcats to a second-place finish.
 
Out of the pool, Zhou is a CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll member who helped the program earn a spot on the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team List for the sixth straight season. She also studied abroad in Singapore during the Spring 2023 semester.
 
"Kristen is a terrific swimmer and member of our second-place CUNYAC team this season," said Bearcats head coach, Charles Lampasso. "She comes to training every day and works hard. She also works hard in the classroom and has achieved great success as a student-athlete in and out of the pool."
 
When asked how she balances academics and athletes, Kristen replied: 'Balancing both responsibilities are definitely a skill that can take some time to develop. I gained exposure to this early on and coming from a demanding, academically-rigorous high school, I had a lot of practice with balancing an eight hour school day, after school practice in a different borough, and then hours of homework. After coming to Baruch, that experience came into good use as I had to start balancing practice and competitions, internships, and academics. I have very long days of being in the office in the morning, practice in the afternoon, and class in the evening. I know I would not be able to achieve these things without having the motivation to do so, but having the discipline has helped me persevere even when the early mornings and late evenings got difficult."
 
"As many others before me have mentioned, organization is the biggest part in balancing both responsibilities. I always make sure to map out my week on Google Calendar, as well as my daily goals on my Notion planner. I am a big believer in discipline over motivation, so by developing the discipline through organization, I know that I can successfully balance both academics and athletics."
 
Her blend of excellence in and out of the pool embodies the meaning of being a NCAA Division III student-athlete. When asked what advice she would give to younger student-athletes, Kristen answered: "Know what you need to do and plan ahead! Learning good organization and time management skills has not only helped with balancing athletics and academics but has brought so much peace into my life as a whole. At the same time, take care of yourself and your health, mental and physical. Success and mental health are not mutually exclusive."
  

For the latest news on the CUNY Athletic Conference, log on to cunyathletics.com – the official site of the CUNY Athletic Conference. Also, become a follower of the CUNYAC on Instagram (@CUNYAC), Twitter (@CUNYAC) and YouTube (@CUNY Athletic Conference), and "LIKE" Us on Facebook (CUNY Athletic Conference). 


 
Print Friendly Version