August 29, 2006
Release courtesy of Dave Blanchard, Luther College sports information director

DECORAH, IOWA . . . Emily Pankow, a 2003 graduate of Palatine (Ill.) High School, and a senior on the Luther College track-and-field team, has been appointed to the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Pankow will serve a two-year term as a representative for the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).

The committee is comprised of 24 student-athletes from across the nation. It meets three times a year during the school year – including once at the national convention – and also in July.

The committee was founded to provide a voice for student-athletes in the legislative process of Division III. The mission of the SAAC is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes, protecting student-athlete welfare, and fostering a positive student-athlete image, while maintaining the tenets of the Division III philosophy.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to represent the IIAC and MIAC,” stated Pankow. “My job as a committee member is to speak on behalf of the student-athletes from both conferences on the annual legislation that is being voted on by the Presidents Council and the Management Council at the national convention. As a whole, our committee does not have a vote, but we can have an influence.”

Pankow, president of Luther’s SAAC, was nominated for this distinguished honor by Jane Hildebrand, Luther associate athletic director, who serves as Luther’s SAAC advisor and the Iowa Conference’s SAAC liaison. Iowa Conference Commissioner John Cochrane nominated Pankow along with two other student-athletes from the IIAC for the national committee.

"The National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, over the course of the past five years, has become a very influential and respected sounding board for the Division III membership in the consideration of legislation/policy impacting the lives of student-athletes,” stated Cochrane. “Emily has exhibited very effective leadership within the Iowa Conference SAAC group; she is a very intelligent, articulate young lady, and her ability to effectively analyze issues from a variety of perspectives will allow her to significantly contribute to the work of the national committee."

Pankow is a two-time national qualifier in the heptathlon who earned All-America honors in 2006 thanks to a sixth-place finish. Her point total of 4,686 at the national meet established a new school record by 332 points.

“Luther College is proud to have Emily representing the IIAC and MIAC,” stated Hildebrand. “As the current president of Luther’s SAAC, Emily has proven herself as a leader, self-motivator, and active participant in understanding the role of a Division III student-athlete. I am personally excited for Emily to have this opportunity to serve at the national level.”

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