In the wake of all that is happening in society today, the goal of Academy of Art Athletics remains the same: to help shine a light on our amazing student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. With that in mind, ART U brings to you the latest installment of the Knights Roundtable!

Joining the roundtable today is men's golf senior Gabriel De Leon Manotoc! After his freshman year in 2016-17, Gabe emerged as a leader for the Urban Knights, capturing All-PacWest Team and PacWest All-Tournament honors in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Gabe reached NCAA DII West/South Central Regionals those two years, becoming the first Urban Knight with multiple Regional appearances to date. Over the course of his career, Gabe has also been a three-time Academic All-PacWest honoree and two-time Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar in the School of Communications & Media Technologies. Without further delay, let's meet Gab!

Sports Information: Tell us a little bit about your hometown and where you grew up, what did you like to when you were young?

Gab: I was born in San Francisco, but I grew up in the Philippines. When I was young, most of my time was dedicated to sports such as basketball, tennis, badminton, and golf.

Sports Info: When did you start playing golf, and what did you like about it?

Gab: I started when I was about seven years old. Both my parents were golfers so they influenced me to play the game. I like how golf teaches you a lot of life lessons. It is also a sport that you can continue playing for almost your entire life.

Sports Info: If you could play a round of golf with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Gab: I would love to play with Tiger Woods. I have always looked up to him as a golfer. Playing a round with him would allow me to learn from the best and improve the different aspects of my game.

Sports Info: What are some of your favorite places to eat in San Francisco? What type of food do you enjoy?

Gab: I enjoy eating Asian food or anything with rice. One of my favorite places would be this hotpot place on Clement street. It is super affordable and you get a lot of food!

Sports Info: If you had one million dollars, what would be the first thing you would buy and why?

Gab: I would first use it to secure my family and the rest I would invest and donate to charity.

Sports Info: What do you miss about your home country while you are at ART U?

Gab: Definitely the food. Even though San Francisco has a pretty diverse cuisine, food from home will always be the best.

Sports Info: What is your favorite type of music, or what artists do you enjoy listening to?

Gab: I listen to different types of music depending on my mood. But some of my favorites genres are hip-hop and R&B.

Sports Info: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Gab: I would go to Scotland. It would be cool to visit the place where golf started. Playing the golf courses there would be an experience of a lifetime since they've been around for centuries.

Sports Info: What is one unique thing that you have been doing to pass the time during the shelter in place?

Gab: I am currently setting up a home gym. Gyms haven't been open here since the whole pandemic started, but I still need to stay in shape so that I am ready for whenever the season starts back up again.

Sports Info: What do you enjoy most about being a student-athlete?

Gab: The whole experience is great. Traveling to play the sport I love with my teammates and coaches and balancing school and sports; it has made me a more well-rounded person.