WEST BABYLON, N.Y. (June 27, 2024) – Mercy University women's lacrosse graduate student Erin Shimborske (Farmingdale, N.Y./Adelphi University) has been named a recipient of the East Coast Conference (ECC) 2023-24 John Smillie, Jr. Award. Shimborske follows women's lacrosse alum Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk who earned the award last year.

The award, named in honor of Athletic Trainer at former ECC member NYIT, John Smillie, Jr., who passed away after battling cancer, 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.

Shimborske had a laparotomy in Fall 2023, in which she had surgery for an open ovarian cyst. Incisions were made from her belly button down to her lower abdomen to remove the cyst, which was about 10 centimeters large, from her right ovary. She also had a cholecystectomy to remove her gallbladder, which was done laparoscopically, but required three more incisions on her right side. Shimborske was admitted in the hospital for three days, with a catheter in for two days because she could not walk. It took two weeks after surgery until she could begin walking normally again, with minimal pain. The full recovery time after surgery was around seven to eight weeks, at which point she was able to begin running and being active again. Shimborske had to eat a fat-free diet for four weeks and wore an abdominal binder to help with movement for four weeks, as well. She overcame all of this to not only play her fifth year but to excel, as she was named an ECC All-Conference First Team midfielder this spring after recording 24 points on 14 goals and 10 assists, 27 ground balls, and 10 caused turnovers in 19 games.