INDIANAPOLIS – University of Findlay softball student-athlete Lauren Yacks has officially been appointed as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president effective for the current academic year.
Yacks, a senior infielder from Highlands Ranch, Colo., joined the Great Midwest SAAC for their first meeting of the 2017-18 academic year in Cincinnati. She also an additional year of eligibility remaining to serve what will be a two-year term in the leadership position.
Yacks will be attending the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis on Jan. 17-20, 2018, to represent the conference while helping serve as a voice for the student-athlete with the collective Division II SAAC group.
She succeeds former Great Midwest SAAC President Jes Hicks of Ursuline, a former cross country and track and field competitor. The league’s first SAAC president was Laura Farleman from Cedarville.
“The opportunity to represent the University of Findlay and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference is an amazing honor,” said Yacks. “The student-athletes that make up the institutions are talented in so many areas and I’m grateful and excited to take on this type of leadership role in a growing and developing league.”
“The role of being a voice for student-athletes on multiple levels is one that I am very passionate about, and I hope I can be a facilitator for creating a sense of unity between the student-athletes and administrators that allows us to play the sports we love at a high level.”
NCAA Division II recently announced another record year of fundraising with the Make-A-Wish Foundation with $634,000 generated during the 2016-17 academic year. That total amount set a new Division II record for the sixth straight year and exceeded the 2015-16 total by $26,000.
Findlay recently raised $6,500 during a charity exhibition game against the University of Toledo to aid in the relief effort of hurricane victims. The Oilers’ SAAC group ranked 13th nationally in 2016-17 by raising $7,500.
At the most recent meeting, the Great Midwest SAAC reviewed legislative proposals at their meeting while discussing Make-A-Wish goals, the A.C.T.S. Initiative, Team IMPACT, and other events being conducted at respective campuses.
Great Midwest Commissioner Tom Daeger also addressed the group at the meetings, which included all 13 member institutions with representatives.
“College athletics provides an incredible platform for personal growth and it also gives student-athletes the chance to leave a lasting impact on the community that surrounds them,” added Yacks. “It is a truly amazing thing to be a part of, and I hope that I can provide others with the opportunity to have similar experiences at their own institutions."