Kudos to Greg Barron, a senior attackman on the Branford boys' lacrosse team, who has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Michael Breschi Scholarship by the United States Lacrosse men's Division Division Coaches Council.
Not bad for a guy who spent the past year battling leukemia.
Barron was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2006 and missed the entire 2006 lacrosse season because of the chemotherapy treatments he had to endure. He returned to the field this season, scored his first goal of the season in a 13-5 win over Hall on Monday and has helped the Hornets start off 2-0.
The Michael Breschi Scholarship is a $2,000 college scholarship awarded to a high school senior who is the son or daughter of a men’s or women’s high school or college coach who is a full-time employee of an educational institution. The award is named for Michael Breschi, the late son of Ohio State men’s lacrosse coach Joe Breschi.
Barron's father Frank, one of the pioneers of Connecticut youth lacrosse spanning nearly three decades, is an assistant coach for the Branford lacrosse team. He was a former head coach at Hand-Madison.
In a world that is in a depressed state with concerns for war and terrorism, sky-rocketing gas prices, a shaky economy, etc., Greg Barron is certainly an inspiration. Last November he organized the largest blood drive in Branford history for his Eagle Scout project, yielding 150 units of blood for the Conn. Chapter of the Red Cross. He maintains a 4.0 grade point average and has earned high honors for 15 straight marking periods.
"U.S. Lacrosse is pleased to remember Michael Breschi in this way," said Jody Martin, Men's Division Director of U.S. Lacrosse. "It is incredible to see how Greg has performed academically, athletically and in the community with such fortitude and character just over 15 months after his diagnosis."