INDIANAPOLIS - Laura Farleman of Cedarville University has been selected as a National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Representative for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).
The role of the national SAAC representative is to attend and be an active participant at all conference and national SAAC meetings. Farleman will work as a liaison for the SAAC at every level - on campus at Cedarville University, among the G-MAC member institutions, and at the national level, where she will represent over 100,000 NCAA DII student-athletes.
“The G-MAC was fortunate to have an impressive slate of nominees to put forward for consideration as the league's first representative for the NCAA National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee,” said G-MAC Commissioner Tom Daeger. “We are excited that Laura has been selected to represent the conference's student athletes and are lucky to have an individual like her to help lead the G-MAC for the next three years. Our staff is looking forward to working with Laura to help build the Conference SAAC.”
The national SAAC representative will be made aware of issues and updates from both the conference and the NCAA, which will affect all institutions, conferences, and student-athletes.
As a representative, Farleman hopes to make a difference not only in facilitating communication between professors, the student body, and athletes at Cedarville, but also contribute and make a difference on a national level.
“I am thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with the SAAC and NCAA legislators about the student-athlete concerns regarding NCAA legislation, but also about the exciting ways in which God is working at Cedarville University in the G-MAC through athletics and the academic environment,” Farleman stated in her nomination letter.
The sophomore from Baldwinsville, NY is a member of the Lady Jackets Track and Field program and a pre-pharmacy major. It is her goal to earn her MD in Neurology and work with neuroatypical children, such as those with Autism and Down Syndrome, through involvement in diagnosis, medication, prescription and overall therapeutic strategy planning for these individuals.
“This is a great opportunity for Laura and for the G-MAC,” said Cedarville Athletic Director Dr. Alan Geist. “As the conference's first representative to the National SAAC, she is taking this responsibility seriously and will represent the G-MAC very well. Cedarville University is excited to be a part of the G-MAC and we will do all we can to support Laura in this endeavor."
As a freshman, Farleman participated in the relays, hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, javelin, heptathlon and pentathlon events during the indoor and outdoor seasons. Her top high jump effort of 5-3 tallied a runner-up finish at the National Christian College Athletic Association Indoor Championship and All-America honors. She was also a part of the third-place 4x800 meter relay unit that also garnered NCCAA All-America recognition as CU captured the NCCAA Championship banner.
The mission of the NCAA DII SAAC is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunities for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete well-being; and fostering a positive student-athlete image. The DII SAAC is guided by ethics, integrity, fairness, and a respect for diversity, which includes gender, ethnicity, and also sport.
Some of the DII SAAC’s responsibilities included: identifying issues and initiatives affecting DII institutions; educate conference and campus SAAC; review and respond to NCAA legislation; participate in the DII legislative process at the Annual Convention; variety of in-person meetings throughout the year at the national, conference, and campus levels; and support the campus and conference communities through outreach efforts.