Syracuse Basketball star Tiana Mangakahia was chosen for the 2020 Syracuse 8 Courage Award. Mangakahia is in remission from Stage 2 breast cancer.
The Syracuse University Athletics Department announced Syracuse Women’s Basketball player Tiana Mangakahia is the 2020 recipient of the Syracuse 8 Courage Award. Mangakahia is the 14th honoree of the award that was first presented in 2007 to former football player Kelvin Smith.
Mangakahia missed the 2019-2020 season after being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in June 2019. Mangakahia remained visible throughout her battle with cancer sharing on social media updates and supporting her teammates on the bench throughout the past campaign.
The 2020 Soladay Awards - our most prestigious honor given annually to the student-athletes that excel the most in the classroom, in athletics and in the community - go to:
— Syracuse Athletics (@Cuse) May 8, 2020
🔸 Lindsay Eastwood, @CuseIce
🔸 Stephen Rehfuss, @CuseMLAX#CuseAwards 🍊 pic.twitter.com/qvN9vsJbMp
Mangakahia was announced the winner of the Syracuse 8 Courage on May 7, just a couple months from getting the green light in returning to physical activity. Syracuse 8 member Greg Allen presented Mangakahia saying her represents everything the Syracuse 8 fought for.
"“Her Courage repersents those things all of us should aspire to.” said Allen, “Not only is she a great athlete, she is also a great role model and has a great future in the WNBA.”"
2020 marks 50 years since the Syracuse 8 left the football team as they spoke out against institutional racism in 1970 and embodying the courage that the award named after them stands for. Allen was one of actually nine and not eight African-American football players that stood up and left the team; along with Bichard Bulls, John Godbolt, Dana Harrell, John Lobon, Bucky Mcgill, Duane Walker, Ron Womack, and A. Alif Muhammad who was known as Al Newton during the protest.
Mangakahia is the second member of the Syracuse women’s basketball team to be awarded the Syracuse 8 Courage award. Fantasia Goodwin was the second ever award recipient in 2008.
Syracuse women’s basketball, coming off a slightly disappointing most-recent stanza in which it would have missed the NCAA Tournament, except the event got cancelled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, is in line for a stellar 2020-21 campaign.
Assuming Mangakahia is granted an additional year of eligibility, her coming back, along with a strong returning core and a terrific incoming recruiting class, has the Orange primed for a pre-season top-25 ranking, along with a realistic shot to contend for an Atlantic Coast Conference title and a deep run in March Madness.