ROCHESTER, NY – University of Rochester men's and women's basketball graduates Brian Amabilino Perez and Julianna Okoniewski were named to the University Athletic Association's (UAA) 13th Annual Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team, as announced by the conference on Thursday.
 
Amabilino Perez wrapped up a stellar, four-year career with the Yellowjackets in 2021-22, leading UR in scoring (14.4 PPG), rebounding (6.3 PPG) and field goal percentage (.574) en route to First-Team All-UAA honors.
 
In addition, Amabilino Perez was named First-Team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Second-Team All-Region by D3hoops.com and First-Team All-Rochester Area by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) for his efforts, finishing Top 10 in the UAA in 12 different statistical categories including second in free-throws made.
 
The senior forward started all 27 games for the 'Jackets, averaging 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game, helping Rochester reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
A 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District® First-Team selection, Amabilino Perez was a three-year UAA All-Academic honoree, as well as a 2021-22 NABC Honors Court member. Off the court, the Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain native earned the Louis Alexander Award from the Athletics & Recreation Department and was selected as a Lysle 'Spike' Garnish Scholar in 2021-22.
 
A three-time All-UAA selection, Okoniewski wrapped up her Yellowjacket career with Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Honorable Mention All-America honors after leading Rochester in rebounding, field goal percentage, blocks and steals in 2021-22.
 
The senior forward averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.8 steals and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 72.4 from the free-throw line en route to First-Team All-UAA and D3hoops.com First-Team All-Region honors, as well as a USBWA First-Team All-Rochester Area selection.
 
Okoniewski finished Top 10 in the UAA in 10 different categories, ranking third in points per 40 minutes and blocks, and ended her career ranked third in school history in blocks per game (1.8 BPG), and fourth in total blocks with 140.
 
A three-time UAA All-Academic selection, Okoniewski was selected as a Lysle 'Spike' Garnish Scholar in the Fall of 2021, and earns UAA Presidents Scholar-Athlete Team honors for the second time in her career, following her First-Team All-Association selection in 2019-20.
 
Created in 2009 by the UAA Presidents Council, originally recommended by the UAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and supported by the Athletic Administrators and the Delegates Committee, the UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team recognizes student-athletes who earn First-Team All-Association honors and carry a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher during their playing season.
 
In addition, student-athletes must also have completed one full year at their respective institution to qualify.
 
This year's scholar-athlete team comprises a record 166 student-athletes representing all eight UAA member institutions across 10 men's sports and nine women's sports.
 
As a group, UAA student-athletes and teams have consistently demonstrated high levels of both academic and athletic achievement. The UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team recognition demonstrates the success of these principles at the level of the individual student-athlete.
 
The Yellowjacket men open the 2022-23 season at SUNY Geneseo on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m., while the women host UT Dallas as part of the Chuck Resler Tournament on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.