FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Suncoast Credit Union FGCU Athletics Scholar-Athletes of the Month for August are junior cross-country runner Karley Piers and sophomore men's soccer player Alon Drey. 
 
One male and female Eagle are chosen for the honor each month throughout the academic year. Factors in the selection include significant athletic and overall academic success. 
 
Piers holds a 3.44 GPA and is majoring in nursing. She leads the women's cross-country team this season with two top-20 performances. Piers placed third with an 18:15.24 showing at the Florida Atlantic University Invitational on Sept. 1. Her time was the 11th best in FGCU program history. 
 
Two weeks later she paced all runners from the ASUN, crossing the line first among all the schools in the league with a time of 17:53.7 while finishing 19th at the highly competitive Mountain Dew Invitational hosted by the University of Florida.
 
Last season, she won her first collegiate race in a time of 18.34.6 and led the team to a second-place finish at the University of South Florida Invitational. Piers was also the first Eagle with a time of 17:54.20, which was the sixth-fastest 5K time in program history, at the ASUN Championship. This was a personal best as she placed 36th and helped the team finish in 12^th place. 
 
"Karley is a hard worker in and off the practice field," said interim head coach Alvaro Rivadeneira. "She prioritizes her academics equally and spends time studying the same as if her next exam was her next race. We are proud to have her as one of the leaders of our cross-country program."
 
Drey began the 2023 season by being named to the preseason All-ASUN team. The Israel native was a unanimous selection for the 2022 All-ASUN freshman team and started in 14 games. There were only three games in which Drey did not stay on the field for all 90 minutes; he logged 1,231 total minutes last season.
 
He scored the final goal of FGCU's 3-0 victory over Queens University of Charlotte last October.
 
Thus far for this season, Drey has played and started in all six games and logged 445 minutes while recording five shots with two on goal. He currently holds a 3.53 GPA and is majoring in entrepreneurship.
 
"Alon is an outstanding student-athlete," said head men's soccer coach Jesse Cormier. "His commitment to both his academics and being an exceptional player for us is inspiring. After recently being named captain, his influence has grown and he represents the qualities we emphasize in our program every day."