INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Midwest Athletic Conference member institutions and their Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) met recently in Cincinnati for the league’s annual fall meetings.
The event lasted for about 24 hours over Thursday and Friday and the Great Midwest SAAC members were extremely busy as they discussed topics such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, engaging the athletes and non-athletes on their respective campuses and enhancement of conference championship events.
Prior to the business portion of the meeting, everyone let loose on Thursday evening and enjoyed a night of axe throwing for the group’s social activity.
Two Great Midwest staff members, Natalie Fiorenza and Leslie Schuemann, were in attendance to help lead the SAAC Meeting. Findlay’s Lauren Yacks, the Great Midwest national representative, will also report from the group’s feedback to vote on the floor of the NCAA Convention.
The Great Midwest SAAC had a chance to review legislative proposals that could potentially impact Division II.
“One of my favorite parts of working at the Great Midwest is having the opportunity to meet with our SAAC representatives in person,” said Fiorenza, the league’s operations coordinator. “It was exciting getting to know the group of student-athletes that attended this year’s fall meeting.”
The first major discussion during the heart of the meeting for the Great Midwest SAAC members was the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a Division II initiative that conferences nationwide look to make a contribution to.
The non-profit organization creates life-changing wishes for children with critical and severe illnesses. During the meeting, the Great Midwest SAAC discussed what each school is doing this year to raise money and set a goal within the conference to raise $23,000 this year.
Another important topic that was discussed during the meeting was the sporting events on campus for non-student athletes. Schools in the past have put on promotional events such as a free t-shirt or a pizza night during a game. Those promotional events will continue to be used going into this season as well as raising money for Make-A-Wish during individual games.
A.C.T.S or Athletes Collecting Toiletries in Service is an opportunity for Great Midwest SAAC members to donate to the community. In the past, the SAAC members would collect shampoo bottles and toiletries from the hotel that they were staying at on road trips and donate those to the local homeless shelter in Cincinnati.
This year is a little bit different as athletes are still collecting toiletries, but now they are donating them to an individual location around their respective institution or where they may be for a tournament. Some places may include homeless shelters, churches or schools.
Below is a roster of all student athletes in attendance for the Great Midwest SAAC Fall Meeting.
| 2019 Great Midwest Fall SAAC Meeting Attendees |
| Name |
School |
Sport |
|
| Cylie Aronsohn |
Cedarville |
Tennis |
|
| Dawson Poling |
Cedarville |
Tennis |
|
| Allison Kasprzyk |
Findlay |
Lacrosse |
|
| Lauren Yacks |
Findlay |
Softball |
|
| Xavier Marable |
Findlay |
Track & Field |
|
| Max Dubree |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
Golf |
|
| Jaylin Tidwell |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
Softball |
|
| Morgan Smith |
Lake Erie |
Softball |
|
| Meagan Maxwell |
Lake Erie |
Lacrosse |
|
| Christina Williams |
Malone |
Golf |
|
| Scotty Brown |
Malone |
Golf |
|
| Tim Zeller |
Ohio Dominican |
Baseball |
|
| Logan Brewer |
Ohio Dominican |
Baseball |
|
| Nini Wagner |
Tiffin |
Lacrosse |
|
| Nick Whetnall |
Tiffin |
Baseball |
|
| Brooke Eakes |
Trevecca Nazarene |
Softball |
|
| Teagan Perry |
Trevecca Nazarene |
Golf |
|
| Abby Allard |
Ursuline |
Lacrosse |
|
| Caitlin Minor |
Ursuline |
Softball |
|
| Rebecca Tomazewski |
Walsh |
Lacrosse |
|