In addition to his talents as a ballplayer, Mickey Zudonyi was one of the most respected student-athletes to come through Rutherford.
After earning Felician’s starting second base job as a freshman in 2008, Zudonyi burst onto the regional secne the following season. Batting mostly leadoff, he hit .307 with 18 extra-base hits, 42 runs scored, 27 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 47 games. He was elected to the all-CACC First Team and to a pair of all-Region Second Teams.
Zudonyi repeated as an all-conference selection in 2010 (.313, 34 R, 24 RBI, .404 OBP, 18 SB). Early in 2011, however, he suffered a season-ending injury. He went on to complete his bachelor’s degree in marketing, then applied for and received a medical waiver to play in a fifth season. He pursued a minor in criminal justice and was named the sole captain of the 2012 Golden Falcons.
Led by Zudonyi, who split time between second base and center field, Felician enjoyed a breakout season that birthed the success the program still enjoys today. The Golden Falcons won the CACC regular-teason title for the first time in 10 years, and reached the finals of the conference tournament.
Zudonyi sits in the top five on the Felician career lists for games played (201, 3rd), hits (217, 4th), runs (149, 3rd), walks (86, 2nd), and stolen bases (81, 2nd). He was a three-time CACC All-Academic honoree, and the conference’s Student-Athlete of the Month for April 2012.
A graduate of Holmdel High School, Zudonyi now lives in Monmouth Beach. He is a lieutenant with the Atlantic Highlands Police Department. Zudonyi and the former Nicole Turano were married on July 31, 2021.
