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.
