Former Student-Athlete Spotlights (March 2026)
Would you like to be featured in the next 'Block S' Club Alumni Spotlight? We'd love to share your story! Fill out the interest form HERE and we'll be in touch! We plan to highlight one men's student-athlete and one female student-athlete each quarter. Read our last alumni spotlights here.
Alex Bono
Class of 2016Men's Soccer
In 2012, Syracuse Men’s Soccer landed the number one recruit in the state of New York and sixth best goalkeeper in the country, Alex Bono. Alex could have played at any school in the country, but as a homegrown athlete growing up in Baldwinsville, it seemed like a no-brainer for him to commit to the Orange.
Prior to Alex’s arrival on campus in 2012, the last true freshman goalkeeper to start a season opener was Robert Cavicchia in 2005. Alex ended a decades-old drought by becoming an immediate starter and seeing instant success on the field. As a freshman goalkeeper at Syracuse, Alex was voted to the Big East Conference All-Rookie Team and won Syracuse’s Rookie of the Year. Alex is the only goalie in team history to be named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week three times. The Orange went from a 3-win season prior to Alex’s arrival to a 12-win season in his first year with the Orange.
Continuing his success after his breakout freshman season, Alex earned even more accolades the following years with him tying third in the ACC for shutouts, earning Disney Soccer/NSCAA Division I Men’s Player of the Week honors, and more. His success wasn’t just limited to the field; he was also named to the Syracuse Athletic Director’s Honor Roll twice.
Aside from his individual success, Alex guided his team to two NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances during his time with the Orange. After a successful college career at Syracuse, where he still ranks in the top 10 for several career goalkeeping categories, Alex turned his eyes toward Major League Soccer (MLS).
In 2015, Alex was selected sixth overall by Toronto FC in the MLS SuperDraft. The news came in a surprising way as Alex was in the middle of the U.S. Men’s Soccer training camp when his coach brought him in the huddle to introduce him to his new teammate from Toronto FC. Being drafted to Toronto was a dream come true. Toronto was on the top of his list of places he wanted to play, and he was excited to work hard to establish himself as a key player for the club. In 2017, he solidified his status in the MLS as the starting goalkeeper for Toronto when they won the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and Canadian Championship. Just a year later he was called up to represent Team USA in a match against Bolivia where he earned the lone senior cap. "It is the dream of every young player to one day have the opportunity to represent their country. There is no higher honor in sport, and we are extremely proud of Alex," said Syracuse Men’s Soccer Head Coach Ian McIntyre.
After being called up to the national team, Alex continued playing for Toronto for eight years before moving to the D.C. United as a free agent prior to the 2023 season. This was a significant change in Alex’s career. Now he had to prove himself again on a completely new team. The next few years, Alex would move around a bit. He spent a couple seasons with the DC United before moving to the New England Revolution and now, he’s back with the DC United ahead of the 2026 season. We are excited that Alex has brought his talent back to DC. The DMV is home to one of the largest Syracuse alumni bases outside of NY.
The Block S Club and the Office of Alumni Engagement have been working together to host the first ever Syracuse Day at the DC United on July 25 where we will support and highlight Alex Bono in a match against Toronto FC and Syracuse Men’s Soccer alum, Deandre Kerr. Follow the Block S Club online to know when our group discounted ticket link becomes available.
Stay connected with Alex on Instagram: @alex25bono
Isis "Ice" Young '18, G'19
Track and FieldA CBS Sports and Yahoo! Sports reporter, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, business owner, and former professional athlete – Isis “Ice” Young does it all. Isis is a proud Syracuse alumnus, graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from VPA and Newhouse, respectively. While studying at Syracuse, Isis worked for the Orange Television Network and ACC Network as a studio host and analyst. During her senior year at Syracuse, she was one of five aspiring female sports broadcasters accepted to the Rising Media Stars program, led by ESPN and Fox Sports analyst, LaChina Robinson. Rising Media Stars is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women of color in sports broadcasting through mentorship, training and opportunities. Another member of Isis’ cohort was aspiring analyst, Andraya Carter, who is now an ESPN and SEC Network reporter, and covered the Women’s Basketball Final Four in 2024.
Isis’ college basketball career was a bit of a rollercoaster. She suffered two knee surgeries, first sidelining her at University of Florida, before she transferred to Syracuse, and then again during her final collegiate playing year at Fordham (2019-2020). Despite the injuries, Isis persevered. After college, she played professional basketball in Germany, Greece, and Australia. Germany was a great choice to start to her pro career since her younger brother, Isaiah Young, was also in Germany playing professional soccer.
Most athletes focus all their time and attention on perfecting their sport, but Isis maximized her time in the offseasons by perfecting her media skill. During and after her playing career, Isis continued to grow her experience working in media.
Her experience and training with Rising Media Stars proved successful as she is now the lead analyst for WNBA coverage at CBS Sports. She also covers the WNBA, NBA, and college basketball for networks including CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports, and NBC/Peacock. Most recently, Isis has joined the Philadelphia 76ers broadcast team on NBC Sports Philadelphia as a studio analyst.
With all her success in the media world, Isis wishes to pour back into aspiring media professionals. In 2022, Isis launched her company, “Your World Enterprises”. Your World Enterprises specializes in media training for athletes and coaching for aspiring reporters. Since the launch, Isis has partnered with over 35 organizations across 20 sports, including Under Armour and the Women’s Sport Foundation, training nearly 2,000 athletes to own their media narrative. Last October, Isis was invited as a panelist speaker at the Women Leaders in Sport convention where she spoke with women professionals across all sport industries on how to own the room, maintain confidence, and advocate for yourself in a male dominated industry.
Likely the most impressive line on Isis’ resume is her recent Forbes 30 Under 30 selection. According to the Forbes.com website, the selection for Forbes 30 Under 30 involves a rigorous evaluation of over 20,000 candidates, expert judges, and public nominations. It includes months of thorough research and analyzes the individual’s impact, originality, leadership, and achievements. Previous notable winners include the co-founder of Spotify, Daniel Ek, Noble Peace Prize Winner, Malala Yousafzai, and founder of Bumble and youngest self-made female billionaire, Whitney Wolfe Herd. There’s no shortcut or secret formula to earning the title of Forbes 30 under 30 honoree. It is hard earned and highly competitive.
Congratulations to Isis for this incredible accomplishment! Syracuse is honored to recognize her as one of our own.
Stay connected with Ice on Linkedin: Isis Young & Instagram: @iceyoung23_
Archived Alumni Spotlights:
December 2025
September 2025
July 2025
