Alumni Update - Katelyn Vannoy (Washington & Jefferson)

Washington & Jefferson sophomore women's golfer Katelyn Vannoy, a Blackhawk High School graduate, has been appointed as a member of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The Division III SAAC consists of one student-athlete representative from each pair of conferences represented in
the Division III SAAC partnership program and at least one student-athlete from a Division III independent institution.

Vannoy will serve as representative for both the Presidents'Athletic Conference and the Capital Athletic Conference.

"This means a lot to me," said Vannoy. "I am honored to have this opportunity and hope I will be able to carry the
voice of W&J, the PAC and the CAC to the national level. I hope now that we have this position, our conferences'
student-athletes will feel that their opinions will be strongly heard at the national level."

Vannoy will be one of 24 NCAA Division III student-athletes (12 male, 12 female) serving on the national committee.
During the 2009-10 academic year, over 172,000 student-athletes competed in a NCAA Division III sport.

A student-athlete advisory committee is made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience. The SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes' lives on NCAA member institution campuses.

Vannoy is a two-year letter winner for the women's golf team. She has helped W&J earn back-to-back runner-up
finishes at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.

Vannoy shot season- and career-low consecutive rounds of 91 at the Mercyhurst Invitational in April.

"I think student athletes can make a big difference by bringing groups of people together for a common interest,"
noted Vannoy. "Since the student-athlete base at W&J is large, we can help raise awareness for certain causes.
Every sport does some type of community service during the year so our teams are representing W&J well and bringing recognition to the college."

On campus, Vannoy is a member of the Pre-Health Professions Club, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the
Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society. She majors in biology and holds down a 3.64 grade-point average.

"I think Division III student-athletes have a lot of advantages as we are able to play a sport and not have to
sacrifice a great education," said Vannoy. "Having the ability to still get one-on-one attention from a small campus environment is very important to many student-athletes."

In Division III, legislation is proposed to the Management Council from Division III committees, including SAAC,
and the Management Council then has the option of forwarding the proposed legislation to the Division III Presidents Council for approval. If the legislation is approved by the Presidents Council, it is voted on annually at the NCAA Convention in January by each Division III member institution and conference to determine if it will become new legislation.

Vannoy is the second W&J student-athlete to serve on the national SAAC in recent years, joining former volleyball
player Angela Lattanzio.

Her term began Tuesday and continues through May 1, 2015.

The most recent PAC representative on the national SAAC was former Westminster men's swimmer Conor Simpson from 2008-10.

(photo courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College)