Monday, June 20, 2016

Part of a regular series.

Throughout the year, GNACsports.com uses this space to profile conference student-athletes who are members of their respective institutions' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In addition to providing feedback on the student-athlete experience, conference and institutional SAAC members also offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes' lives on NCAA member institution campuses. Click here for more information on the function of SAAC at the NCAA level.

Name: Cody Cooper
Sport: Baseball
School: Montana State Billings
Year: Junior
Major: Health & Human Performance
Hometown: Bozeman, Mont.

Extracurricular activities: LEAD Program, Hunting, Fishing, Hiking

Why did you choose to attend Montana State Billings? MSUB was a great fit for me because I could continue playing baseball at a competitive level while still being close to family and outdoor opportunities.

What is your favorite class you have taken in college and why? Exercise physiology. This class was very interesting and pertained to my future goals in an enjoyable way.

Who is your favorite professor you've had in college and what did you enjoy about learning from him or her? Dr. Kathe Gable. She is a fun and interesting professor with an incredible amount of knowledge.

Years involved in SAAC: Three. 

The reason I chose to get involved in SAAC: I wanted to connect with the other athletes on my campus in a productive and professional manner.

Most memorable SAAC activity: Discussion of school rules and regulations that we, as a committee, are changing.

If I could change one NCAA rule, it would be: Eligibility of players when transferring across or up a division.

What is the most important thing you've learned from balancing the demands of athletics and academics? Academics come first no matter what and sometimes sacrifices will have to be made.

What does it mean to be a Division II student-athlete: To me, being a Division II student-athlete means being a leader, not only on the field, but in the classroom an community as well. We are well respected amongst our peers and it's our job to keep it that way.

Current mentor(s): Coach Rob Bishop, Dr. Kathe Gable.

Future goals after school: Physical therapy school.

Biggest obstacle overcame during collegiate career: Learning how to balance academics and athletics.

Best advice I’d give to an incoming freshman: Talk to your professors and make sure they know who you are and that you may be missing class at some points during the semester. Professors love it when students care about their academics and work to make their college careers worth while.

If I could spend the day with one person (past or present), who would it be (and why)? My father. Days in the outdoors with him are always memorable!

Favorite sports team: Cleveland Indians.

Favorite athlete: Kurt Schilling.

Most memorable sports-related moment: Winning the GNAC baseball championship in 2015.

One thing that people don't know about me is: No matter how old I get, I will always be fascinated by airplanes.