Cook Selected as NCAA SAAC Representative
The College at Brockport lacrosse player
Zach Cook has been selected as a national Student-Athlete Advisory Commitee (SAAC) member for NCAA Division III. Cook's three-year term started at the conclusion of the January 2016 NCAA Convention and will run through the conclusion of the January 2019 NCAA Convention.
He will represent both the Empire 8 and the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).
"Both the SUNYAC and Empire 8 contain great institutions not only athletically, but academically as well," said Cook. "I am honored to have been selected to represent my peers at a national level."
Cook replaces Stevens Tech women's lacrosse player Amanda Ingersoll, as the national representative rotates between conferences each term.
In addition to being a Brockport SAAC member, Cook has spent time with athletes with developmental disabilities through the Central Methodist Church in Endicott, N.Y. and the Vestal Challenger Baseball League. He has also coached in the Vestal Youth Football League as well as at the Johns Hopkins University and Binghamton University lacrosse camps. Cook looks forward to keep working with athletes with disabilities through a new outlet.
"I am excited to get involved not only with the legislation aspect of Division III, but all of the Special Olympics programs that we have to offer," Cook said.
A Vestal, N.Y. native, Cook was a 2015 All-SUNYAC honorable mention selection as a freshman. The midfielder/faceoff specialist appeared in 14 games for the Golden Eagles, starting ten. He won 129 of 207 total faceoffs while also tallying three assists and collecting 32 ground balls.
The mission of the National Student-Athlete Advisory Committees is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image. Cook looks to do just that, saying "My goal is to represent both conferences in a way that can improve the experience that each student-athlete endures throughout their college career."