Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. - Ruth Adams of the St. Thomas Aquinas women's basketball team, Kaitlyn Mahon of the Queens women's basketball team, and Nick Petrucelli of the Daemen men's basketball team have been named the 2019 recipients of the John Smillie, Jr. Award.

This award is given in honor of NYIT Athletic Trainer, John Smillie, Jr. who passed away two years after battling cancer.  The John Smillie, Jr. Award is given annually to a student-athlete or student-athletes who have overcome personal or physical challenges and hardships to pursue their intercollegiate athlete careers. John Smillie's children were in attendance to present the awards.

Ruth Adams
As a junior, Ruth was ready to fill a key role on a team poised to be a top team in the East Coast Conference and possibly even the region. 

On her first day of pre-season, she completed a workout and felt ready to get the season underway but the next day she went to see Head Athletic Trainer Lori Rahaim feeling lethargic, with right shoulder tightness and pain. Her right arm felt heavy and she could not lift it above her head.  When she was not making any progress from her condition, she was sent for bloodwork by the team doctor.  As soon as it came back, Ruth was rushed to the Emergency Room with a diagnosis of active rhabdomyolysis.  Untreated, this could lead to kidney failure and heart complications. After almost a week of medical treatment,  she was released from the hospital and told it was going to be a long, complicated recovery.  Ruth endured blood work every week, constant fluids, daily hydration checks, tons of doctor visits, and what may have seemed to be the ultimate punishment, no basketball or workouts for the entire 2017-18 season which included STAC’s first ECC title and an NCAA second round appearance.

Despite the issues she was facing, “Ruth was a positive role model on the sidelines and gave her team a lot energy from the bench, really supporting them,” noted Coach Lusk.  Ruth continued to complete treatments during that year and over the summer to make her way back to working out and playing basketball for the 2018-19 season where as a red-shirt junior, Ruth helped lead her team to a regular season championship averaging 11.2 points per game while garnering ECC accolades of Second Team All-Conference. 

Kaitlyn Mahon
Kaitlyn has been a four-year starter playing a major role in Queens College’s success on the basketball court including their run to the elite 8 in 2017.  Though she has had many highs throughout her four-year career, it did have its fair share of lows. The first major set back came her junior year when she broke her foot while chasing down a loose ball during a game. Along with the fracture, Kaitlyn also did considerable damage to the ligaments supporting this bone. After she needed to remain non-weight bearing for four weeks but by midseason Kaitlyn began her rehab trying to get back on the court.

Though many would have looked for a medical exemption Kaitlyn was determined to get back on the court and help out her team.

After the year was over, Kaitlyn was determined to get ready for the next year and leave this injury behind her. She started her senior year with the same tenacity and grit that defined her career as a Queens College Knight. However, mid-season Kaitlyn sustained a dislocated thumb during practice that resulted in a complete UCL rupture. Surgery would be needed to solve this problem. Feeling déjà vu Kaitlyn was again out for six weeks mid-season; unable to begin rehabilitation until the injury could heal.

Many at this point would have faltered, but not Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn again looked for no excuses and began conditioning in any way possible that would not further injure her hand. She continued to work hard knowing she needed to be ready as soon as possible to support her teammates.

Kaitlyn’s dedication, perseverance, and tenacity are clearly apparent when looking at the challenges she faced during her tenure at Queens College. What makes Kaitlyn Mahon truly remarkable is through all of these trials and tribulations, Kaitlyn is sixth all-time at Queens in assists, was fifth in Division II in minutes played, and second in the ECC in assists per game. Although she missed a full season of participation and numerous conference games this season due to injury, Kaitlyn finished her senior year with Third Team All-ECC honors and is a four-time ECC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient. She is also a member of the Golden Key Honor Society with a 3.78 GPA.

Nick Petrucelli
Nick's path to triumph began in January  2016, his sophomore season, when he suffered an ACL tear in his Right knee during a game. Due to the timing of the injury, the remaining 1/3 of his sophomore season was lost, so he underwent an ACL reconstruction less than a month later. Nick is a hard worker and dedicated himself to the rehab process, making great strides before going home to Long Island for the summer. Nick returned to Daemen for the fall of his Junior season working toward a return to basketball. Preseason training was progressing well with the usual ups & downs of a return to sport following ACL reconstruction, however, he suffered a setback the weekend prior to the October 15th start of basketball practice. 

Pain and swelling had returned; an MRI revealed a small meniscus tear. In an effort to avoid surgery, Nick underwent an aspiration and injection to make a return. However, his symptoms persisted, preventing him from making the comeback to basketball during the fall semester.  Over winter break in early January 2017 of Nick’s Junior year, he elected to have his second surgery for the meniscus tear, but during surgery, the surgeon found that the tibial screw had shifted and the ACL graft was loose. 

This ultimately led to the decision of a third surgery at the end of January 2017.  He knew this would end his hopes of playing during his Junior year. Nick again dedicated his efforts to rehabilitate to make the long-awaited return to basketball.  He did so will the greatest efforts throughout the spring, staying in the Buffalo area and continuing his focused efforts over the summer.  Nick’s hard work paid off and he was cleared to return to play for what would be his Redshirt-Junior season. 

The return was going very well with  Nick starting to make his way back into the playing rotation when in only his third game back, he suffered the unthinkable; a left knee ACL tear. A devastating turn of events, having to sit out 18 months and in only the third game back to tear the ACL in the other knee. He underwent his fourth surgery in December 2017.

But wait…in August 2018, during his re-evaluation with his surgeon, it was found that his tibial screw was working its way out and he also had an osteophyte at his inferior patellar pole. So, Nick underwent his fifth overall surgery, an arthroscopy on his Left knee.

In September 2018, after two and a half years of rehab, Nick returned to Daemen embarking on his fifth and final (redshirt-senior) season.  After a slow start and a couple of bouts of common patellar pain, some back spasms that held him out, he made the return to the court for the season opener eventually earning his way back into a starting role in his third game.  However, on a Sunday night at practice the week of Thanksgiving, he suffers an ACL graft tear of the left knee. 

After strong consideration of weighing all options, he decided that he did want to try to play on the unstable knee with a brace, and he did, successfully!  After only missing 5 games he made his return on December 29, 2018, and continued to play the rest of the season.  He didn’t miss another practice or game due to his injuries.  Not only did he play, but he contributed, averaging over 12 minutes a game and totaled 56 points, 28 assists, 11 steals, and 59 rebounds on the season as part of Daemen’s ECC Regular Season Championship squad.