July 27, 2007
North Eastern Athletic Conference Announces Inpiration Award Winners
GANSEVOORT, NY – The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) announces the Inspiration Award Winners for 2006-2007. These winners have endured personal hardship(s) that have led to bravery and/or dedication within athletics through participation, volunteerism, coaching, and/or administrating. In 2006-2007, the NEAC will be honoring two student-athletes that are deserving of such an honor.
Alexis Mercado (Bronx, NY), a captain for the Purchase College women’s volleyball team, graduated in 2007, but walks away from the school as one of the greatest to ever play for the Panthers. A 2007 NEAC All-Conference selection, Mercado was one of the few bright spots for Purchase the past two seasons – a reality that almost wasn’t. Alexis Mercado is thankful for many things since her near fatal car accident in November 2002 – most notably her passion for sports.
While driving to school her freshman year, Mercado’s car started to shake and spun out of control. The car crashed into a partition in the road and her head hit the windshield. When an ambulance arrived, she flat lined, but EMS was able to revive Mercado. She does not remember much of the accident, which occurred due to mechanical problems with the car, but she does remember waking up the next morning, praying for another chance to play the games she loved most: volleyball and softball.
Doctors told Mercado she would be sidelined for the next year due to injuries suffered in the car accident. She slowly began rehabbing and working her body strength back. The next spring, she played softball for the first time.
But, injuries kept coming – perhaps a residual of her near fatal accident. In fall 2003, she snapped her ankle during the volleyball season and later that spring she finally tore cartilage in the same ankle during the softball season. She was forced to have surgery. Barely able to walk, Mercado, only a little over a year removed for the car accident began rehabbing another injury with hopes of getting back on the field.
She would play softball and volleyball the next year, lifting Purchase to the 2005 Hudson Valley Athletic Conference championship title in softball.
Everything appeared to be behind Mercado, but the injury bug kept coming back. She broke her leg during a game in 2006 and was sidelined for the rest of the year. She vowed yet another return and did so – better than ever before.
In the fall of 2006, Mercado led the Panthers in nearly every statistical category, garnering All-Conference for volleyball. She was also named team MVP at the intercollegiate athletic awards dinner. Mercado, who also endured some academic and personal problems during her college career, graduated this spring, and was named the Gloria Cimaglia Athletic Assistant of the Year for her work with the intercollegiate athletics program when she wasn’t excelling on the field of play, or in the classroom.
Mercado has been an inspiration to all of her fellow student-athlete at Purchase and that her inspiring tale will life the hearts of any one in the NEAC.
Christopher Warren (Largo, MD), a graduating senior for the Villa Julie College Mustangs faced personal and family tragedy with strength and conviction and continued to participate in basketball despite the odds he faced during his collegiate career.
In his first year at Villa Julie, Chris was faced with a very hard situation when his favorite cousin, Josh, was paralyzed before the basketball season was underway. Chris did not know whether he should stay home and comfort his mourning family or carry on with his basketball career. After spending a couple weeks in and out of the hospital consoling his cousin, Chris decided to return to school to continue playing basketball. He said that he felt like “he was playing every game with a purpose and that he was dedicating his career to his cousin.” Even though Chris’ first season did not go as planned, he looked at it through an optimistic view saying “this just means that I have to work harder on my game and leadership skills.”
In his second year, Chris’ hard work during the summer started to show immediately. He became an instant leader and was the glue to a team that went 18-10. Chris also faced hardship in his second season when one of his family members was murdered and another was shot. Even though he was upset by the loss, he did not let that get in the way of his goals. Chris maintained his composure during this stressful time to the extent that the majority of his teammates did not even that he was going through tough times. Chris was still the same – picking people up when they made mistakes. Chris wanted his team to be as successful as possible and he never made excuses for himself no matter how badly he was hurting.
In his junior season Chris sustained a very severe ankle sprain. After extensive rehab, he was back in the starting line up after missing only 8 games. This “warrior” attitude that he displayed was “contagious” and this is the personality that the team took for the rest of the year.