Friday, December 15, 2017

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: Nathan Streufert
Sport: Men's Basketball
School: Seattle Pacific
Year: Junior
Major: Physiology
Hometown: Richland, Wash.

Extracurricular Activities: Hunting, fishing, camping, skiing, playing/coaching basketball, spending time with friends/family.

Why Did You Choose To Attend Seattle Pacific: I chose to attend Seattle Pacific University to play basketball and pursue a degree in physiology with the hopes of attending medical school in the future. I chose SPU over other schools because of it being a small Christian university, where I could grow both in knowledge and in faith. It is also fairly close to home (about three hours away), so my family can attend games.

What Is Your Favorite Class You Have Taken And Why: My favorite class I have taken is either BIO 3432 (Vertebrate Biology) or UFDN 2000 (Christian Scripture). In vertebrate biology, I loved learning about the anatomies and phylogenies of different animals. Christian Scripture gave me an in-depth look at the Bible from an academic point of view that was very interesting to me.

Who Is Your Favorite Professor And What Did You Enjoy About Learning From Him Or Her: My favorite professor I've had in college is Dr. Eric Long. I took BIO 2103 (Plant Biology/Evolutionary Biology) and BIO 3432 (Vertebrate Biology) from him. He presents the material in an interesting and easy-to-learn way and is invested in student learning. He is also a great resource for learning to reconcile faith and science and is quite knowledgeable in this area. As a former college basketball player himself, he understands how hard it is to balance school and athletics and has been very supportive of both aspects of my life.

Years Involved In SAAC: 3.

The Reason I Chose To Get Involved In SAAC: Originally, I was assigned the position of SAAC representative by my coaches. After learning more about the organization, I chose to stay involved in SAAC because it allowed me to have a voice for our team and helped me better connect with other athletes at SPU. I also love the community services that we have been able to organize and provide to those within Seattle.

Most Memorable SAAC Activity: Our end of the year athlete barbecues are great gatherings for athletes to celebrate the year with each other and take a break from finals.

If I Could Change One NCAA Rule, It Would Be: There should be less regulation on what competitions athletes participate in during the off-season, such as three-on-three tournaments. It would also be cool for athletes to be able to win prizes in these types of tournaments.

What Is The Most Important Thing You've Learned From Balancing The Demands Of Athletics And Academics: The most important thing I have learned from balancing the demands of athletics and academics is to be organized and have a schedule. One of the best strategies I have found is to make a list for the week of everything that needs to be accomplished, both academically and athletically, and then stick to the schedule as much as possible. If a task is completed with time left over, use that time to rest or time to spend on doing non-academic, non-athletic activities.

What Does It Mean To Be A Division II Student-Athlete: To be a student-athlete at the Division II level is to be a person devoted to success at a high level in both academics and athletics.

Current Mentor(s): Grant Leep (head coach), Matt Borton (assistant coach), Kegan Bone (assistant coach), George Parker (assistant coach), Max Hunter (pre-professional health sciences adviser), Janet Bester-Meredith (professor of biology, academic adviser), Eric Long (professor of biology, liaison to athletics), Shelby Stueve (compliance, SAAC coordinator).

Future Goals After School: Attend medical school. I am interested in orthopedics, emergency medicine, family medicine or pediatrics.

Biggest Obstacle Overcome During Collegiate Career: The coaching change within our program or the injury sustained during my redshirt-sophomore year that limited my ability and playing time for that entire season.

Best Advice I’d Give To An Incoming Freshman: Be yourself. Don't let your teammates define you or the type of person/player you are. You are a student-athlete because you earned the right to be; go out and compete every day and don't care what anyone thinks.

If I Could Spend The Day With One Person (Past Or Present), Who Would It Be (And Why): My grandfather. He is my only grandparent I have never met and it would be amazing to get to visit with him for a day.

Favorite Sports Team: College basketball: Gonzaga Bulldogs. MLB: Seattle Mariners. NBA: San Antonio Spurs. NFL: New England Patriots.

Favorite Athlete: NBA: Dirk Nowitzki. MLB: Ichiro Suzuki. NFL: Tom Brady. College Basketball: Adam Morrison. Golf: Bubba Watson.

Most Memorable Sports-Related Moment: Going 25-0 into the state championship my senior year of high school. We ended up losing the final by single digits, but it was our high school's first state championship appearance in 35 years and my dad was our coach. Getting to share that season with him is a very special memory for me.

One Thing That People Don't Know About Me Is: I have a twin brother named Michael. He is studying mechanical engineering at Washington State University - Tri-Cities.