Sergio Manesio

Classroom

Sergio Manesio has demonstrated an ability to excel in the classroom, as he owns a 3.66 grade-point average as a finance major. A five-time Dean’s List honoree, Manesio was named the Horizon League Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year after the 2015 season. In each of the past two years, he has been named to the Horizon League Fall Academic All-League Team and says he was partially drawn to the finance field so that he could have the ability to use his degree to help others become financially stable.

Character

Manesio is serving as the captain for the Vikings for the second straight season. He leads and organizes the team from his central defense position and has been willing to sacrifice his individual statistics for the betterment of the team. Although he played forward earlier in his career due to his ability to score, Manesio has been willing to accept a role as a central defender to help the team perform to the best of its collectively ability.

Community

Manesio has shown a willingness to get involved with his communities both in Cleveland and in his home country of England. Manesio and his teammates have volunteered at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where they helped package bags and meals, and has also helped teach and coach soccer to children of various age groups, worked with youth from the Mayfield (Ohio) Soccer Club and helped high school and middle school students during the summers in his hometown of London. Through his club team in England, Manesio also took part in trips to local schools to help with reading exercises. Earlier this year, Manesio earned an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar Award, which, in addition to a student-athlete’s on-field performance, also factors in the individual’s commitment to service and student leadership.

Competition

Manesio made an immediate impact upon arriving at Cleveland State and, in three years, he has developed into the top defender in the Horizon League. Manesio was named Horizon League Defender of the Year and All-League First Team for the 2015 season. After Cleveland State allowed 11 goals in its first three games a year ago, Manesio was moved from a forward role into center defense with the hope of stabilizing that area of the field. He did his part to make the move work, and Cleveland State allowed only 12 goals in its final 16 games last season with the Vikings posting six shutouts in their final eight games—all of which Manesio started. Manesio also earned All-Ohio accolades after the 2015 campaign. Following the 2014 season, Manesio earned first-team All-League honors and also collected Horizon League All-Freshman honors in 2013. As of September 29, Manesio had started all 60 games in which he had appeared, and he owned 14 career goals and three assists despite seeing significant time in the defensive third of the field.