SAAC STANDOUTS: Dottie Lanctot, Colby-Sawyer Field Hockey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINTHROP, Mass. – Back in August, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference announced its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Commissioner's Council for the 2020-21 academic year, as each of the seven members were featured weekly with Wednesday Q&A Spotlights before GNAC Instagram Story Takeovers on Thursdays.

We now continue our Q&A and Instagram Takeovers with SAAC members from the GNAC's other six member institutions, with this weekly series set to run through November 18-19. For the complete weekly breakdown, please see below, and check out our Instagram Highlights for clips of past student-athlete takeovers! 

The support and formal creation of a revamped league-wide GNAC SAAC initiative came in April 2018 as a strategic recommendation from the Conference Self-Study Guide (CSSG) Committee and GNAC Presidents' Council. The SAAC Commissioner's Council will work directly with GNAC Assistant to the Commissioner Julio Barroso, with the strategic goal of emphasizing the student-athletic experience, as well as the key focus of student-athlete mental health in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

GNAC SAAC FEATURES
AUG. 26 | Anna Maria: Daniele Iaboni (Whitby, Ontario), men's soccer sophomore
SEPT. 2 | Dean: Zoe Coleman (Warwick, R.I.), field hockey/softball sophomore
SEPT. 9 | Emmanuel: Morgan Mercier (Lincolnville, Maine), men's soccer/men's lacrosse senior
SEPT. 16 | Johnson & Wales (RI): Andre Cotton-Samuel (Long Island, N.Y.), men's basketball sophomore
SEPT. 23 | Lasell: Alex Lorenzo (Pawtucket, R.I.), women's soccer sophomore
SEPT. 30 | Regis: Santiago Pedraza Novak (Bogota, Colombia), men's soccer sophomore
OCT. 7 | Saint Joseph (CT): Aminah Tsonga (Plainville, Conn.), women's volleyball senior
OCT. 14 | Albertus Magnus: Jessica Coughlin (Durham, Conn.), women's tennis senior
OCT. 21 | Colby-Sawyer: Dottie Lanctot (Sandown, N.H.), field hockey senior
OCT. 28 | Norwich: Isabella Leister (Hartland, Vt.), women's soccer senior
NOV. 4 | Rivier: Dax Billingsley (Lynn, Mass.), baseball junior
NOV. 11 | Saint Joseph's of Maine: Michael Mason (East Brodgewater, Mass.), cross country senior
NOV. 18 | Simmons: Abby Anderson (South Yarmouth, Mass.), field hockey senior

Julia "Dottie" Lanctot Q&A

Year: Senior

Hometown: Sandown, N.H.

Position: Center Midfield

Major: Business Administration with a minor in Sustainability and Health Care Management

Why did you choose Colby-Sawyer?: When I first toured this campus, I felt so at home. The small campus and tight-knit community were just what I was looking for. 

High School: Timberlane Regional HS

Top HS athletic memory: After having a less than ideal season, we were not sure we were even going to make it to playoffs. Following a three-game upset, we made it to the D1 State Championship where we came from behind in the last five minutes to win the title! As a senior captain, I was so proud of my team and all of the obstacles that we were able to overcome!

Favorite Quarantine Activities: Working out and playing multi-person solitaire with my family. 

Favorite Athletes: Simone Biles, Lindsey Von, Mia Hamm 

Favorite Movies: Tarzan, The Heat, Moana 

Favorite Music Artists: Quinn XCII, Christian French, and Taylor Swift  

Favorite Foods: Candy, ice cream, and chicken  

Career Aspirations: Short-term, I want to work in athletic operations. Long-term, my goal is to become an Athletic Director. 

Personal: I have 49 cousins and I am the youngest on both sides of my family. Also, my two brothers and I grew up playing sports and our parents coached us a lot. 

What do you hope to gain from the GNAC SAAC to bring back to your campus?: In these challenging times, I hope that the GNAC develops unique ways to support all of the campuses they serve by recognizing these needs of current student-athletes. As the SAAC President for Colby-Sawyer, I want to make a difference on my campus and make this a memorable year for everyone.  

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 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

– #TheGNAC –