Horizon League Announces 2018-19 Student-Athlete Council and Cabinet Representatives, SAAC Leadership Team Following League Meetings
Rachel White
INDIANAPOLIS – The Horizon League has announced the members of the League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) who will serve as representatives on the Council and five cabinets in the League governance structure for the 2018-19 academic year, as well as the SAAC Leadership Team. These student-athletes and other members of the League SAAC gathered in June in Indianapolis to begin their work for the upcoming year.
Wright State’s Maria Heckman will serve as the student-athlete representative on the Council. The Minster, Ohio native, a track and field student-athlete for the Raiders, will be the student-athlete voice and vote on the Council, alongside all ten Athletics Directors, the chair of the Faculty Athletic Representative Advisory Group, and the chair of the Senior Women’s Administrator Advisory Group. This is the second year in the League’s redesigned governance structure, which provides student-athletes with a voice and vote on the Council and cabinets. Youngstown’s State Alexis Roach served as the first student-athlete member of the Council during the 2017-18 year.
Green Bay’s Maddie Yoss (Student-Athlete Development), Oakland’s Ronnie Krsolovic (Competition), and Detroit Mercy’s Kyri Jackson (Messaging) were all chosen to serve as student-athlete representatives on cabinets along with Cleveland State’s Rayna Oosterhuis (Resources) and IUPUI’s Jeremy Breedlove (Governance).
Additionally, Youngstown State’s Alan Burns was selected to serve as President of Horizon League SAAC. IUPUI’s Allex Brown will serve as Vice President, UIC’s Annette Lesnicki was chosen as Secretary and Milwaukee’s Lizzie Odegard will lead Community Service.
During the League meetings, SAAC members discussed goals for the upcoming year, including a continued relationship with partners One Love, Special Olympics, and Team Impact. Andrew Rusk, a Team Impact signee with the University of Indianapolis, and his mother Karen, joined the group to talk about the importance of the program to both their family and the team they have joined.
Additionally, SAAC engaged in discussions on finding their voice on campus, NCAA governance issues, the newly launched ESPN+ platform, and many other topics over the three day schedule. The SAAC meetings were held in conjunction with meetings of several other groups in the governance structure, including the Board and Council, giving student-athletes the opportunity to interact with administrators throughout the Horizon League.
Throughout the year, the twenty-member League SAAC will continue their work, participating in several video conferences to discuss league issues and providing feedback to their cabinet and Council representatives as topics move through the governance structure.
2018-19 Horizon League Student-Athlete Council and Cabinet Representatives
Maria Heckman, Wright State – Council
Maddie Yoss, Green Bay – Student-Athlete Development Cabinet
Ronnie Krsolovic, Oakland – Competition Cabinet
Kyri Jackson, Detroit Mercy – Messaging Cabinet
Rayna Oosterhuis, Cleveland State – Resources Cabinet
Jeremy Breedlove, IUPUI – Governance Cabinet
2018-19 Horizon League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Leadership Team
Alan Burns, Youngstown State – President
Allex Brown, IUPUI – Vice President
Annette Lesnicki, UIC – Secretary
Lizzie Odegard, Milwaukee – Community Service
2018-19 Horizon League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Cleveland State
Rayna Oosterhuis, Women’s Golf
MacJilton Lewis, Men’s Swimming/Diving
Detroit Mercy
Kyri Jackson, Women’s Track & Field
Scott Sparks, Men’s Golf
Green Bay
Maddie Yoss, Women’s Volleyball
Kameron Hankerson, Men’s Basketball
IUPUI
Allex Brown, Women’s Basketball
Jeremy Breedlove, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Milwaukee
Lizzie Odegard, Women’s Basketball
Francesco Saporito, Men’s Soccer
Northern Kentucky
Ava Lawson, Softball
Will Haueter, Baseball
Oakland
Amber Lefler, Women’s Swimming/Diving
Ronald Krsolovic, Baseball
UIC
Annette Lesnicki, Women’s Swimming/Diving
Paul Lesley, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Wright State
Maria Heckman, Women’s Track & Field
Bryce Haney, Men’s Golf
Youngstown State
Shani Jefferson, Women’s Soccer
Alan Burns, Men’s Cross Country/ Track & Field
Administrative Liaison
Laura Hue, IUPUI
Faculty Representative
Chris Stiller, Oakland