Cortland's Liam Boyd to Receive SUNYAC Award of Valor in Early June
Cortland Sports Information Department
Liam Boyd, a member of the SUNY Cortland men's cross country and track and field teams, has been chosen as a recipient of the 2025 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Award of Valor. The award, which originated in 2003, is presented to those who have used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome a life-altering event, and whose ability to overcome obstacles has served as an inspiration to others.
Boyd will be recognized by the conference and the SUNYAC Governing Body, along with the other 2025 award recipients, at the SUNYAC Awards Banquet in Syracuse on June 3. The Red Hook, N.Y., native will be one of three Award of Valor recipients from conference schools this year, and he will be the fourth Cortland student-athlete to receive the honor. The other Cortland recipients were baseball player Nick Marola in 2024, women's golfer Danielle Bambola in 2022 and football player Kyle Richard in 2019.
Nominated by Cortland cross country and track and field coach Steve Patrick, Boyd was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2024 during his freshman season. The following is a direct account from Boyd about how things transpired.
From Liam Boyd:
Thank you for reaching out about the SUNYAC Award of Valor. I'm truly honored to receive this recognition.
When I was accepted to SUNY Cortland and began my freshman year in August 2023, I was thrilled to start this new chapter. I loved every aspect of running for SUNY Cortland. My teammates quickly became close friends, and we enjoyed great times between practices, meets, meals, and just hanging out. Academically, my first semester went well with a 3.76 GPA.
Everything changed after winter break when I began experiencing unusual fatigue. I'm incredibly fortunate that during my visit to the campus medical center, Melissa Partigianoni, the director of health services, identified serious concerns in my bloodwork. She had me rushed by ambulance to Upstate Medical in Syracuse. I still remember learning that my platelet count had dropped to just 4,000 – far below the normal range of 150,000-250,000. That night, receiving my APML leukemia diagnosis felt unreal.
My parents stayed by my side throughout the following seven weeks as I battled this aggressive form of leukemia. Enduring over 100 blood transfusions and complications including brain bleeds. Through God's grace and the exceptional care from my medical team, I made it through the critical induction phase of treatment. Though the most dangerous period ended in March, I still faced eight more months of daily chemotherapy and treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Throughout my healing journey, the support from family, friends, teammates, and coaches was incredible. Having teammates and coaches visit me in the hospital lifted my spirits tremendously. The contrast between running 50-60 miles weekly to barely managing the walk to my mailbox after treatment was humbling. Recovery has been long and challenging, but I've worked to maintain a positive mindset, finding joy in watching games, joking with friends, talking sports, and simply moving forward.
I'm proud to share that my return to campus in January 2025 has been successful. While I'm not yet competing in meets, I continue to practice and support the team in other ways. I have loved cheering on my teammates and look forward to the day I'll race again. These past 18 months have been incredibly difficult, but I'm proud of what I've overcome and grateful to be back at SUNY Cortland.
Thank you. This is a terrific recognition, and it means more than I can express.
