Friday, November 29, 2019

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.

Name: David Sramek
Sport: Track & Field
Institution: University of Alaska Anchorage
Year: Senior
Major: Journalism and Public Communications
Hometown: Prague, Czech Republic

Why Did You Choose To Attend Alaska Anchorage?: I chose to attend Alaska Anchorage because I loved the location, the people and the track program.

What Is Your Favorite Class You Have Taken And Why?: My favorite class has been Digital Film Production because we got to shoot a lot of fun material and I learned a lot about the post-production process.

Who Is Your Favorite Professor And What Did You Enjoy About Learning From Him Or Her?: It would definitely be Elizabeth Arnold. She is a great professor. She is funny, loves to teach and is helpful. I was never bored in her class and people learned a lot from her.

Years Involved In SAAC: Two years.

The Reason You Chose To Get Involved In SAAC: I wanted to be more involved with compliance at UAA and I wanted to contribute more to the community. Being in SAAC helped me to pursue both of these.

If You Could Change One NCAA Rule, It Would Be: I think college athletes should be able to be sponsored.

What Does It Mean To Be A Division II Student-Athlete?: It is a privilege to be a leader on campus. People look up to you and you have to be a role model. It is also a great honor to represent my school and community.

Future Goals After Graduation: Find a job in my field and continue competing in track.

What Is The Most Important Thing You’ve Learned About Balancing Athletics And Academics?: Time management is key.

Biggest Obstacle Overcome During Your Collegiate Career: Redshirting and not being able to compete for over a year due to injury.

Best Advice You’d Give To An Incoming Freshman: Don't be afraid to get involved and be heard. Pursue your dreams and work hard for them.

Favorite Thing About Competing In The GNAC: The community of student-athletes is amazing and the competition is very challenging so it makes all athletes better.

Favorite Sports Team: Golden State Warriors.

Favorite Athlete: Kevin Mayer.

Extracurricular Activities: Video and film making, watching TV and watching sports.

One Thing People Don’t Know About You Is: I am a huge cycling fan and coffee enthusiast.