Dallas to Receive ECAC Award of Valor

CAPE COD, Mass. - Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Commissioner Rudy Keeling announced today the four recipients of the ECAC Award of Valor. This year's winners are Erin Dallas (Keene State College), Erin Doolan (Springfield College), Merzudin Ibric (Wheaton College), and Kevin Laue (Manhattan College). They will receive their awards at the Honors Banquet on Tuesday, September 28 presented by Jostens. The banquet will be held at The Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts during the 2010 ECAC Fall Convention and Trade Show.

Established in 1985, the ECAC Award of Valor honors ECAC athletes whose courage, motivation, and relentless determination serves as an inspiration to all. The recipients exemplify strength of character and perseverance deserving recognition as being truly triumphant.

Dallas, an All-America field hockey player at Keene State, tore her ACL in the fall of 2008 following her junior season. About a week after the original surgery, she developed a rare and very serious bacterial infection called necrotizing fasciitis, a tissue eating disease that is fatal in nearly 30% of those diagnosed. There were times when doctors treating Dallas didn't know if she would survive or if she did, whether they would be able to save her leg. While at Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital, she had over 30 additional surgeries and numerous hyperbaric chamber treatments. Dallas was in the hospital from Mid-December thru March. In August 2009, after several months of rigorous physical therapy, Erin was cleared to play by her doctors for all activities she felt able to tolerate. It was at this point, she became determined to get back out on the field and play field hockey. While her strength, speed, and stamina weren't at the same level, she was able to return to the Keene State team this past fall. Erin was moved from offensive/midfield to the sweeper position and had to adjust her game to be successful. Coach Amy Watson said "that Erin Dallas at 50% was still an impact player" and she was correct.  Dallas made a remarkable comeback leading the Owls to a share of the Little East regular season championship and a berth in the ECAC New England tournament. Individually, she earned the following honors: third-team NFHCA All-America, first-team womensfieldhockey.com All-America, first-team All-Little East, first-team All-New England west region, first-team All-ECAC, and Little East Defensive Player of the Year. She was also selected to play in the NFHCA North/South senior all-star game.

"I'm surprised and honored to receive this honor from the ECAC," said Dallas. "To join this special group of athletes who have overcome adversity in their respective sports means a lot to me.  I hope my hard work serves as an inspiration to other athletes who might find themselves in a similar situation."

"Erin is a true competitor and a true fighter richly deserving of this honor," said KSC field hockey Amy Watson.  "Erin's ability to persevere and rejoin the team last year speaks volumes about her dedication and desire to return to a game she loved."

Doolan, a captain of the Springfield women's lacrosse team this year, was struck with thyroid cancer twice during her collegiate career. She started her freshman year in 2005, was struck with cancer, had surgery in January of 2006, and wasn't allowed to return to school for the spring semester. Doolan underwent radioactive iodine treatment in June of 2006. So she would not fall behind in her coursework, she took classes part-time during her treatment, and was able to return to school in the fall. In January of 2007, more cancer was diagnosed and Erin had another surgery in March of 2007. She received more radioactive iodine treatment in June of 2007, and has been under the care of her physician ever since. Through this adversity, Erin has managed to graduate on time in May of 2009. During the 2009 season, she was a second team All-conference selection. She received a medical hardship waiver during this spring season and finished her career as the captain of her team, while pursuing her master's degree. 

Laue, a sophomore center on the Manhattan men's basketball team, is believed to be the first one-handed NCAA Division I student-athlete to earn a basketball scholarship. Laue has been missing his left hand and arm below the elbow since birth. He also came into the world silently, unable to cry because his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Doctors have assumed that he had been able to survive in the womb because his left arm had wedged between the cord and his throat. That stunted the development of the arm -- which is fully formed to the elbow -- but it kept him alive. He was cut from his school's basketball team in seventh grade, but later that year he persevered and played for the Tri-Valley Outlawz, an AAU team in Livermore, Calif. for coach Patrick McKnight, known as a disciplinarian. Laue, who battled asthma, ran suicide drills until one summer day he forgot his inhaler. Only ten players showed for the scrimmage and after a half hour he hyperventilated. When teammates found him, he was in the midst of an attack and was rushed to the nearby hospital. At Amador Valley High, Laue refused to wear a prosthetic, proved he could hit open jumpers and developed into a ferocious shot blocker. He had three coaches in four seasons, grew like a weed and suffered through osgood-schlatter -- a disease common in teens going through growth spurts. Still unsigned his senior year in high school, he broke his leg which ended his season. Kevin traveled across country to Fork Union Military Academy to play a year of prep school ball in the hopes of earning a Division I scholarship. Against Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) at the National Prep Showcase, Laue -- who pins passes with his left arm and right hand -- scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked five shots against a frontcourt that featured players who had committed to Oklahoma, Baylor and Kansas. Later in the tournament, a coach told his players to foul Laue twice at the end of the second half. He converted four free throws to seal the win. After one year playing some of the top postgraduate talent in the country, Kevin started to receive scholarship looks again. In May of 2009, Laue signed with Manhattan College. Laue continues to use his success at a high level to encourage and provide hope to others who suffer from similar conditions. Laue has utilized his vast media coverage to get his message out to help others. Regardless of the outcome of the game, Kevin has met with numerous children with similar disabilities to encourage them and give hope. On December 30, 2009, Kevin scored his first collegiate point and grabbed eight rebounds against SEC power Vanderbilt. Kevin's hard work to succeed both inside the classroom and on the court is remarkable.

Ibric, a track star at Wheaton College, is a Bosnian refugee who fled his war-torn homeland and arrived in the United States in 1998. His journey – filled with numerous challenges and triumphs - is an inspiring lesson in courage, perseverance, and hope. When he arrived in the U.S., he knew only two words, "okay" and "bye," which he picked up from watching American movies. Today, Ibric is an outspoken activist against genocide as well as a nationally-ranked track star and high academic achiever. He has been named to the Dean's List at Wheaton while earning national-championship honors in the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays as well as All-America accolades in the 400m dash and 4x100m and 4x400m relays. He has written a book about his experiences called Running for My Life, which he hopes to publish. He was five when war broke out in Bosnia, a conflict that claimed over 100,000 lives and uprooted more than two million people. In 1992, struggling to eat and enduring extreme living conditions, Ibric's seven-member family fled from village to village praying for the atrocities to end. His uncle was killed during the genocide. Shrapnel severely wounded his sister and injured his father. Forced to flee Srebrenica, the family was bused to Tuzla. As a grown male, Ibric's father was not permitted to leave but later escaped the village and joined the family. Eventually, they gained permission to immigrate to the United States to get medical care for Ibric's sister. In June of 1998, Ibric's family landed at Boston's Logan Airport and was taken to an apartment in Revere to start their lives over. For Ibric, sports, particularly soccer, helped to bridge the communication gap. He became a sports star at Revere High School, which drew the attention of college recruiters. Ibric chose Wheaton because of its program in international relations. During the past year, he was a two-time outdoor national champion and All-American in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays as well as a two-time indoor All-American in the 400m dash and 4x400m relay. Ibric was also named Wheaton's Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year.