Siena College's Katie Carew Named to NCAA Division I National SAAC Council
Siena Sports Information
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - Katie Carew has already put together an impressive resume during her two short years at Siena College. An accomplished member on the successful Siena Swim Team, she has also excelled in the classroom as a philosophy major. As she begins to enter her junior year in just a few short weeks, the Airmont, N.Y. native has been bestowed with a special appointment to the highest level of collegiate athletics, the NCAA. Carew has been selected as one of just 31 Division I student-athletes to serve a two-year term on the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
"I am honored to represent both Siena College and the MAAC on the National SAAC board," said Carew. "With my optimism, I plan to increase awareness of the importance of the student-athlete voice and image, community service and unity amongst all student-athletes."
Each year, the NCAA Division I Management Council selects from a pool of three nominees from each of the 31 represented conferences to serve on National SAAC. Carew, who is the rising SAAC President at Siena, was chosen to represent the MAAC, becoming just the second-ever Siena student-athlete to serve both the school and the conference at the highest level joining former men's soccer goalie Patrick Henry who was selected in 2006.
"We appreciate Katie's willingness to serve on this committee and to represent Siena and the MAAC," commented Director of Athletics John D'Argenio. "By being selected from among 10 schools and hundreds of student athletes, Katie has certainly proven that she has leadership skills and a desire to serve her fellow athletes. We look forward to the ideas and thoughts that she can bring back to the conference and to campus."
The Division I SAAC reports directly to the Division I Management Council and two SAAC members participate in each meeting of the Management Council as nonvoting members. It is through these two mechanisms that NCAA Division I student-athletes offer input and assist in shaping the proposed legislation by which their division is governed. With the input she will have, Carew hopes to make both Siena and the MAAC's voices heard.
"I want to share my passion and excitement for SAAC with other student-athletes to make them more aware of the power that we have as athletes to make a real difference in athletics, our schools and community. Through my leadership and teamwork, I will communicate the student-athlete voice from Siena to the MAAC to the NCAA, while also bringing back new ideas to share with my teammates and fellow student-athletes here at Siena."
Carew has already put together a laundry list worth of accomplishments in just her first two years at Siena, proving that she is the consummate student-athlete. In the pool, Carew has been one of the Saints' top competitors in freestyle, IM and relay events. She was part of Siena's 2009 MAAC Championships 800 free relay team which finished fourth overall with a new school record time, while also finishing 12th overall in the 200 free. She concluded that season with a 10th place finish in the 400 free relay at the ECAC Championships and has posted two career event victories.
Outside of the pool, she has been a two-year member of SAAC at Siena and recently attended the MAAC SAAC meeting this spring. She has not let her extra-curricula's affect her studies though, as she had maintained a 3.49 GPA while majoring in philosophy and was a member of the 2010 MAAC All-Academic Team. An aspiring industrial psychologist, she enjoys playing golf, frisbee and water polo in her free time.
It is not hard to see why Carew was such a good fit for both Siena and the MAAC in the eyes of the NCAA. Now she hopes to dive right into this new venture with the same passion, excitement and success with which she has done meet after meet with the Saints.