News

CAPE COD, Mass. -- Commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rudy Keeling has announced the recipients of the 2007 ECAC Award of Valor.  Bill Struzzi of Ithaca College and Callie Burns of St. Michael's College will be presented with the Award of Valor during the annual ECAC Honors Dinner presented by Jostens in conjunction with the ECAC Convention and Trade Show presented by Clark Companies, Clough Harbour Sports, Musco Lighting, and Sportsfield Specialties.

The ECAC Award of Valor is awarded annually and was established in 1985 to honor Eastern College Athletic Conference student-athletes whose courage, motivation and relentless determination serves as an inspiration to all.  The recipients of the Award of Valor exemplify strength of character, perseverance, and most importantly, accomplishment deserving recognition as being truly triumphant.

Upon entering Ithaca in 2003, Struzzi more than likely envisioned himself helping the Bombers compete for the Empire 8 Conference title, earning a degree in Business Administration and graduating with his classmates in the Spring of 2007.   

Things were going according to schedule; the IC football squad had won outright or had a share of the Empire 8 crown in each of his first three seasons.  He even turned in one of the best plays of the 2005 season when he returned an overtime interception 92 yards for the winning touchdown in Ithaca's win over #17 St. John Fisher. Not only did he score the game-winner, but he recovered a fumble to set up the game-tying touchdown in addition to blocking a punt. He finished with six tackles and his performance earned him awards as Empire 8, ECAC and Football gazette Defensive Player of the Week. Struzzi also landed a spot on D3football.com's Team of the Week.

Yet three days before Christmas of that year, Struzzi received word that would forever change his life.  He was diagnosed with testicular cancer.  He was forced to withdraw from the Spring Semester.  With his family he traveled down to New York City and had surgery to remove the tumor.  He then underwent 12 weeks of chemotherapy treatment. 

Struzzi lost 30 pounds, but gained an appreciation for life that most college students don't understand.  He returned to campus for the Fall 2006 semester, only this time he wasn't suiting up with his teammates.  He was still in the recovering process, so he served the Bombers Football team as a volunteer assistant coach with the defensive backs. 

Things didn't get any easier for Struzzi as life again dealt him a blow; his father suddenly passed away in November of that year.

With the support of his family, friends, teammates and coaches, he has returned to IC and is suiting up for his last season on the gridiron as a Bomber.  "Bill has been a model of strength, courage and perseverance for all student-athletes, coaches, staff and members of the Ithaca College Community" stated Senior Associate Athletic Director Mike Lindberg.  "His positive attitude throughout, not only helped him through very difficult times, but was infectious to all who know him.  Many times Bill was seen being a source of strength to his teammates when it should have been the other way around, but that's Bill.  "He tackles life issues the same way he tackles in football...head up and feet driving forward.  We can all learn from Bill."

In her first year at Saint Michael's College, Burns, a Political Science major, became an advocate for the local Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) association in Burlington, Vt.  The summer before her sophomore year, the tennis player became a statistic of which she preached.

In August of 2004, Burns was a passenger in a car that was hit head-on by a drunk driver.  Everyone in the car suffered minor injuries, yet she was trapped and pulled from the vehicle by four strangers, seconds before it exploded. 

Burns missed her entire sophomore year at Saint Michael's, as she was confined to a wheelchair for six months recovering from two shattered femurs, a broken ankle, ligament damage, and severe back pain.

Through extremely hard work and tough perseverance, Burns was able to return to campus and take up playing tennis again.  She worked herself back to top playing form.  Her senior season she helped lead the Purple Knights to a runners up finish at the Northeast 10 Championships. 

Burns sported an impressive 12-9 record in singles, playing at the No. 2 and 3 positions, while posting an 11-10 mark at No. 1 doubles for the entire 2007 campaign.  For her efforts, the Northeast 10 Conference selected her the F. Paul Bogan Memorial Sportsmanship Award recipient in addition to naming her to the All-Conference Second-Team Singles and Doubles.  She was also chosen as the conferences nominees for the 2007 NCAA Sportsmanship Award.  At Saint Michael's, Burns was also the recipient of the Diane C. Foster Award which she received in May as the female student-athlete who exemplifies, by their actions, true compassion, sacrifice and service to others.

"Cailie has been in inspiration to everybody at Saint Michael's, not only in her heroic recovery from near-fatal injuries, but also in her positive attitude and leadership qualities" stated Sports Information Director Seth Cole.  "She has returned to her pre-injury form on the tennis court, and is one of the best players on one of the league's best teams."

Additionally, Burns was a two-year member of the MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts) Core team, she has completed three extended service trips to Immokalee, Fla. to participate in Habitat for Humanity and has served as a mentor for DREAM (Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure and Mentoring) for four years and served as co-chair of the program for two.

Burns graduated from Saint Michael's in May and will be joining AmeriCorps VISTA, continuing her service work with youngsters in the greater Burlington area.

The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference with 319 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Illinois. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors 98 championships in 37 men's and women's sports, assigns more than 5,100 officials in 15 sports, administers 10 affiliate sports organizations and six playing leagues and recognizes more than 4,000 student-athletes in 21 sports through the public relations arm of the conference. The ECAC serves as the primary conference for select members in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, men's gymnastics, wrestling, fencing and rowing