Latavia Jackson Earns John Smillie, Jr. Award Honors

WEST BABYLON, N.Y.- Senior women's basketball guard Latavia Jackson was honored along with two other student-athletes in the ECC, as a John Smillie, Jr. recipient, as was announced by the Conference office earlier today. The honor 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.

In Fall 2023 during preseason conditioning, District of Columbia women's basketball senior guard Latavia Jackson was rushed to the emergency room for chest pain and difficulty breathing, where she was diagnosed with a nonmalignant cyst close to her heart that required cardiothoracic surgery to remove it. Following successful surgery, recovery required absolute rest followed by a gradual process of return to cardiovascular fitness safe for full participation in sport. Not only was this a physical setback, but also a mental and emotional blow for Jackson, who was an ECC All-Conference First Team and CCA All-East Region Second Team selection in 2022-23. With UDC's Sports Medicine and Sports Performance staffs, Jackson worked on extra conditioning to get back to the game she loves. She finished the year as an ECC All-Conference Third Team honoree, averaging 12.3 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game in 27.6 minutes per game to help lead the Firebirds to the ECC Championship semifinals. 

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