An opportunity to compete at a Division I school, live in New York City, and continue his Jesuit education is a dream come true for Steve Zucca.

The Saint Ignatius senior has committed to Fordham University to continue his promising academic and athletic careers.

Zucca signed his letter of intent with Fordham on Wednesday, joining a long line of Wildcats to continue their education at the Jesuit university in the Bronx.  

A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, Fordham offers solid cross country and track & field programs. After his outstanding Saint Ignatius career, Zucca will fit right in. 

The University Heights native has been a stalwart on both the cross country and track & field squads since his freshman year. But his breakout occurred this past spring on the track. The distance runner enjoyed an outstanding junior year.

In June, Zucca punched a ticket to the State Meet in Columbus as an individual in the 3200m run and as a member of the 4x800 relay squad. Zucca tallied an 8th place finish in the 3200, and helped the Cats take 10th in the relay.

"Steve's work ethic is off the charts," said Head Track & Field Coach Chuck Kyle '69. "He communicates well, and that's important. For a distance runner, your body tells you something. It's very important. In the early part of the season, he had shin issues. He told us, and our training staff was able to nip the problem in the bud. He had a great track season.

Zucca also enjoyed an outstanding senior season with the Cross Country Cats. After leading the Cat Pack all year long, he did so again on the most important stage – the State Meet. Zucca topped the team with a time of 15:43, good for 11th overall. Thanks in part to his heroics, the Cats placed 9th as a team. 

"Steve Zucca is a special runner," said Head Cross Country Coach Doc Gallagher '71. "He has the speed for the 800 meters and the endurance for 5000 meters. He’s a quiet leader who makes his teammates better runners through example and kindness.  He's been a pleasure to coach as I’ve watched him develop into an All-State runner. Fordham has a blue-chip talent coming their way."

College coaches took notice of his standout junior season and continued to show interest in the fall. 

"I started out by contacting coaches of schools I was interested in. They didn't respond at first, which was a bummer. But I had a good track season, and Coach [Chuck] Kyle sent them my information again," Zucca said. "That's when they reached out to me."

Duquesne and Fordham soon became the clubhouse leaders for Zucca. But after a visit to Fordham in September, including a meeting with his future coaches, Zucca was sold. 

"I love New York City. Visiting there, I said, 'I really want to be here.' The college itself is Jesuit, which is important to me," Zucca said. "I've been in Jesuit education since grade school with Gesu, Saint Ignatius, and now Fordham."

Fordham is a wonderful institution, both academically and athletically. It's a great fit for the bright Wildcat. 

"It's a great place to go to school. It's a great Jesuit institution, about 15-20 minutes from Manhattan," Kyle said. "It's a wonderful opportunity. Beyond running, it's a great place in terms of academics and career-wise. Academically, he's extremely strong. Fordham saw the whole person and wanted Steve on campus. I think Steve will contribute very widely at Fordham."

Indeed, Zucca will do great things in college and beyond.

Plenty of Wildcats have excelled there. Recently, Mike Watts '11, Rustom Khouri '12, and Patrick Viancourt '17 have thrived at the premier Jesuit school. 

Before heading to the Bronx, Zucca wants to finish strong, both in the classroom and on the track. 

Zucca has loved his Saint Ignatius experience with his brothers, and looks forward to his last go-around. 

"As you can imagine, running is not the most fun thing to do. But when you're doing it every day with the same group of guys, you get very close," Zucca said. "The coaches are always on your side, which I like. With cross country and track, it's months and months of preparation for one big day. I don't think there's anything quite like it. Training from November all the way through May for States. To see all of your work come to fruition is awesome."

Zucca is very thankful to all of the people in his life who have made his Saint Ignatius experience special. 

"I want to thank Doc for being an awesome cross country coach. Coach Kelly Gallagher was a big help," Zucca said. "A big thanks to Coach Kyle, and Coach Ken Sullivan, he was a big help, as well. Also, thank you to Coach Rubino – without him, I wouldn't have been healthy. I'm also thankful for my mom and dad for letting me make the decision, and helping me weigh the factors of why this place is better than this place."

Congratulations, Steve!