COLONIA, NJ – On Wednesday afternoon, the East Coast Conference announced its two recipients for the annual John Smillie, Jr. Award, an award named in honor of former ECC-member NYIT athletic trainer John Smillie, Jr., who passed away after battling cancer. The honor is given annually to a student-athlete or student-athletes who have overcome personal or physical challenges and hardships to pursue their intercollegiate athletic careers.
This year's honorees are Queens women's tennis senior Mariana Ling (Orlando, FL) and Daemen men's basketball graduate student Ryan Salzberg (Manlius, NY).
Mariana Ling
Queens | Senior | Women's Tennis
Ling was coming off of a standout 2021-22 sophomore campaign. In her first year as a Knight, she played a key role in both singles and doubles, helping lead the team to its 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Ling closed the season with a dominant win over Franklin Pierce's Zoe Asterio Correa in the NCAA First Round – one of several performances that showcased her competitive edge and versatility on the court.
She was a 20-year-old college student living in New York City.
And then it all changed when she was diagnosed with cancer.
Diagnosed during the 2022–23 season, Ling spent over a year battling cancer and working to regain her health and fitness. Chemotherapy wasn't the hardest part for Ling. Instead, it was her new reality after reaching remission.
"I went from being a tennis player who played competitively for 18 years and captain of her college tennis team to a girl who was bald and had not played the sport she loved for months because of treatment and for months after because I just was not that girl anymore," said Ling. "After a while, I realized that I will never be the girl that I was. So I decided to trust myself and focus on the new girl I could become."
She made her return to the court this past fall, teaming up with longtime teammate Rea Hagishima in doubles play. With her competitive spirit as fierce as ever, Ling helped secure key wins over ECC opponents Molloy and D'Youville, contributing to the team's momentum during a historic season – one that culminated in Queens winning the East Coast Conference Championship for the first time in five years.
"I get asked all the time if I regret anything, and of course I would never want to get cancer again – and yes, I'm still a girl discovering more about her feelings," said Ling. "That said, this journey has taught me to truly appreciate the woman I'm becoming. The people I've met along the way – especially my cancer friends – have had a huge impact on my life. I even had a close friend, who also happens to be a competitor from Dominican University, shave her head and dye it pink with hearts drawn on it when I lost my hair. That showed me the kind of love and kindness I've been so fortunate to receive. Yes, cancer is terrible – it was a long, exhausting three-setter – but I had small 'points' that kept me going. I'm still learning about myself and how to treat myself with grace. If I could turn back time and rewrite my story, I wouldn't change a thing."
Ling graduated from Queens this past December with a dual degree in Corporate Finance and Economics and a minor in Media Studies. Born in Venezuela and raised in Orlando, FL, she now works as a Summer Analyst at Starwood Property Trust at their headquarters in Miami, FL.
Looking ahead, Ling is channeling her experience and passion into founding a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money, awareness, and resources for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors – a cause deeply personal to her journey and commitment to supporting others facing similar challenges.
Ryan Salzberg
Daemen | Graduate Student | Men's Basketball | Guard
On October 16, 2023, the first practice of his senior year, Salzberg went up for a layup and tore his ACL on his left knee.
After experiencing the series of emotions that this situation evokes, Salzberg had some thoughtful discussions with Daemen head coach Mike MacDonald, his parents, and those closest to him and found himself in the middle of a life-altering decision: move-on from basketball, graduate on-time in May 2024 with his bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and start the next chapter of his life or "redshirt" the 2023-24 season and return in 2024-25 as a graduate student allowable via the COVID-19 blanket waiver.
"It was really tough on me, and I thought my career was over when it happened," said Salzberg. "For a couple of weeks, I was set on finishing up the academic year and moving on to the next chapter of my life. When I realized that I could receive a master's degree while playing basketball for one more year, it was a no-brainer. [Daemen Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine & Performance] Jeff Sage and I spent every single day of that year rehabbing, and if it wasn't for Jeff, this year on the court wouldn't have been possible. I also want to thank my father for being by my side the whole time and rebounding for me all summer when I was trying to get back into playing shape. This also wouldn't have been possible without Coach MacDonald because he believed in me and gave me an opportunity to come back and play."
Salzberg underwent successful surgery on November 16, 2023, dedicated six months of rehab and reconditioning, and was cleared to start playing basketball again in May 2024. The entire summer of 2024 allowed Salzberg to continue getting stronger, working on his basketball conditioning, and getting his ball-handling and shooting touch back.
380 days from his injury, Salzberg returned to the basketball court for Daemen as a starter on October 30, 2024 to play an exhibition game at Division I University at Buffalo… a game that Daemen won, 67-61. He went on to start all 29 games and averaged 25.9 minutes per game – the second-most on the team – for a Wildcat team that went 28-1 overall and 16-0 in conference en route to the ECC Regular Season Championship and program's first ECC Tournament Championship and was ranked No. 1 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches National Poll for four consecutive weeks.
So was the decision the right one?
"Yes, this season was amazing and one to remember," said Salzberg. "This was the best team I've ever played on, and it was the closest team I've ever played on. I loved every practice, every team meal, every road trip, and every game with the guys on this 2024-25 Daemen men's basketball team. I do have a greater appreciation for this season because it felt very rewarding that I was able to come back from tearing my ACL and contribute to a team that made history. I'm so grateful to Dr. Stube for doing a great job with the surgery. I also have appreciation for my teammates because these were the same guys who stood by my side after I got injured. Obviously, my decision to come back looks like a really good one now because of how the year went on the court, but the reason I'm really happy with my decision to come back is because of all the memories I made with my teammates and coaches."