Thursday, June 4, 2015

BURNABY, BC – Ryan Yewchin, who will be a senior this fall at Simon Fraser University, has been appointed as a member of the NCAA Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Yewchin (Nanaimo, BC – Dover Bay) replaces Spencer Dodd of Saint Martin’s as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s representative on the committee.

Yewchin’s term begins immediately and will continue through the close of the January, 2017, NCAA Convention.

The committee serves as the primary governance arm representing student-athlete interests in Division II affairs.

SAAC members serve as student-athlete liaisons that monitor and discuss happenings on campuses, within the conference and at the national level.

Representatives are responsible for gathering feedback and reporting on behalf of their conference, as well as relaying important events, hot topics and educational information to both the campus and conference levels.

In addition to relaying information across campus and conferences, the committee speaks on behalf of the entire Division II student-athlete body throughout the NCAA governance structure.

Division II SAAC members serve as voting members on a number of Division II committees, including the Management Council.  The SAAC also has voting authority during the Division II Business Session at the annual NCAA Convention.

Yewchin, who will be one of 27 members of the committee, competes in wrestling for the Clan.  He is a former BC High School champion and the runner-up in the Canadian High School Championships.

He also serves as a “learning coach” for the SFU athletic department, tutoring other student-athletes.