CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Markael Brace (Albany/Albany High School), a sophomore guard on the Hudson Valley Community College men's basketball team, has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his education and play basketball at North Carolina Central University next year.
Brace, a two-time All-NJCAA Region III performer, has led the Vikings in scoring in each of the last two seasons. He averaged 21.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season and finished his Hudson Valley career with 909 points.
"I'm excited for him," said Hudson Valley head coach Vince Medici. "Markael was not highly recruited out of high school. He has worked hard here at Hudson Valley to earn a scholarship to a good Division II school."
North Carolina Central, located in Durham, finished 16-13 and won the Western Division of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2002-03. Phil Spence, who was a key member of the 1974 North Carolina State team that won the national championship, coaches the Eagles.
In the 2002-03 academic year, Hudson Valley's athletic teams combined to win 59 percent of their contests. The college's softball team won the Mountain Valley Conference and finished the season ranked 10th in the country. The men's soccer team completed its season ranked 14th in the nation, while the men's and women's bowling squads finished sixth and fourth, respectively, at the NJCAA championship tournament. Additionally, 31 Vikings earned All-Conference honors and three were given All-American status.