FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JWU sophomore's
appointment runs for two years
WINTHROP, Mass. – Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Commissioner Joe Walsh is pleased to announce the appointment of Johnson & Wales University women's volleyball sophomore Mikayla Arimura to the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
A San Clemente, Calif. native, Arimura will serve a two-year appointment on the national committee through January 2021.
The national SAAC represents the student-athlete voice in the Division III governance structure by reviewing legislation, identifying significant student-athlete issues, implementing student-athlete based initiatives, encouraging community outreach, and enhancing D3 student-athlete involvement and understanding in general.
"I am extremely grateful at this opportunity as the GNAC's new national SAAC representative," said Arimura. "I cannot wait for the experiences this will allow me to have as I represent the conference at the national level. I am looking forward to have an impact and be a voice for all Division III student-athletes across the country."
Arimura replaces Norwich University's
Ryan Booth, who served from 2017-19 on the D3 National SAAC. For more on the Cadets' men's basketball student-athlete's experience contributing on the national level, please click
HERE.
New legislation recently passed that has expanded national SAAC input to include all 44 Division III conferences, along with a
Conference and Partner-Conference realignment. The GNAC, which had previously been paired with the NEWMAC, is now partnered with the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC).
The committee meets in-person four times a year and is primarily responsible for maintaining and coordinating the division's nationwide partnership with Special Olympics.
"Mikayla is an excellent choice for the appointment as the GNAC's national SAAC representative," said JWU women's volleyball head coach
Nancy Somera. "Not only will her outstanding leadership serve her well in this position, but the management skills that she has honed while here at Johnson & Wales will help her to unite the SAAC leaders from all the GNAC schools into one collective voice."
Arimura has been a key contributor for the Wildcats women's volleyball program, which has become a regional and national powerhouse under Somera. The sophomore appeared in 32 games as a freshman, averaging 1.96 assists and 2.46 digs per set as JWU advanced to the Elite Eight. This past fall, Arimura was limited to 23 contests due to injury as a sophomore, averaging 2.48 digs per set as the Wildcats hosted the regional for the second straight year and captured their fourth consecutive GNAC Championship.
Arimura will be in attendance with other student-athletes at the GNAC's spring SAAC Forum this Sunday, March 24, at the East Boston Hilton Garden Inn, where members of the GNAC SAAC will undergo a DiSC Assessment conducted by NCAA D3 Leadership Development Staff Director
DeeDee Merritt, along with other engaging leadership activities.
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
– #TheGNAC –
