Zulmary, the daughter of Rosemary and Bernardo, grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico with her two sisters, Zuleira and Zuljeily. As a swimmer at an early age, she soon found that the basketball court was where she belonged as she began playing at the age of 10. At the time, she was the only girl on an all boys team, which got her noticed by a girl’s league coach. After graduating from the Colegio Maria Auxiliadora on full scholarship in 1999, she would go on to attend the University of Puerto Rico.
Transferring to Dowling in 2001 after coach Joe Pellicane noticed her exceptional play at a local tournament, Zulmary would go on to become one the most successful athletes at Dowling. The highlight of her career would come as she helped lead the Golden Lions to a NYCAC Championship victory in 2003, leading to a NCAA Tournament bid for the first time in program history.
Zulmary’s time at Dowling was marked with many accomplishments and honors. In her three years, she would go on to receive First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Metropolitan honors all three years. In 2003, she would go on to receive All-Metropolitan Player of the Year, Fourth Team All-American, MVP of the NYCAC Tournament, First Team Daktronics All-Region, and NYCAC Player of the Year honors.
She currently holds the Dowling record for most career field goals made with 512, most career points with 1,460, and ranks second in career free throws made with 339, most career steals with 401, and ranks in the top 10 of all career records at Dowling. She also hold the record for single game highs in field goals made with 14 and steals with 9.
Outside of Dowling, Zulmary was a force on the court as well as she played on the Puerto Rican National team from 1997-2008. During that time she would go on to win a bronze medal with her team at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games as well as a Gold Medal at the Pan-Americanos Colegio Games. She succeeded locally as well as she helped her team win the gold medal at the New York Empire State Games.
Zulmary received her Bachleors Degree of Science and Arts from Dowling in 2004 while getting her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Stony Brook University in 2007.
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