Thursday, April 13, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Alaska Fairbanks student-athlete Sarissa Lammers has been named as the GNAC representative to the NCAA Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Lammers, who was selected for a two-year term, is in her junior season as a member of the Nanooks’ cross country ski team. The native of Eagle River, Alaska, is studying mechanical engineering and has previously served as a member of Alaska’s SAAC.

“We are very pleased that Sarissa was selected to represent the GNAC on the national SAAC,” said Alaska director of athletics Dr. Gary Gray, who is also the chair of NCAA Division II Management Council. “This is an amazing opportunity to meet with student-athletes from all 24 conferences and create change in the NCAA governance process. I am certain Sarissa will interact well with her peers and the Division II Management Council over the next two years. By all accounts, she did a great job at her first meeting last week in Indianapolis.”

As the GNAC’s representative, Lammers is responsible for gathering feedback and reporting on behalf of GNAC, as well as relaying important events, hot topics and educational information to both the campus and the conference. The Division II SAAC speaks on behalf of the entire Division II student-athlete body throughout the NCAA governance structure.

The goal of the NCAA Division II SAAC is to serve as a primary governance arm representing student-athlete interest in Division II affairs. As the GNAC SAAC representative, Lammers will be the GNAC student-athlete voice at the national level. Lammers will serve as a liaison between the GNAC and the NCAA on all national affairs, including feedback on Division II legislation.

Lammers replaces Simon Fraser’s Ryan Yewchin, who ended his term in January 2017. Lammers has already been in a leadership role in SAAC, representing Alaska at September’s GNAC SAAC annual conference. She also served as an athlete ambassador for five years at Fast and Female, a program dedicated to getting women involved in sports.

“I hope to be able to use my unique experiences from competition to community outreach programs to provide a different angle on the topics that will be covered at the national SAAC,” Lammers said.

Lammers' term will end at the 2019 NCAA Convention. She is on track to complete her athletic career in the spring of 2018, while she continues to pursue her degree in mechanical engineering.