The Linfield Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced on Tuesday the appointment of six new members to the executive board for the 2020-21 academic year.
 
Linfield women's soccer student-athlete Madi Reimer and track & field student-athlete Keaton Wood will serve as co-presidents, while Michayla Sponsel of the women's soccer team is the new secretary.
 
Baseball student-athlete Colton Meyer has been elected as the community engagement coordinator. Rounding out the six-member executive board are Cami Reuter of women's basketball and Chase Whittaker from men's soccer, who will serve as co-marketing and publicity coordinators.
 
"Thanks to the SAAC group of the last two years in particular, SAAC's visibility on campus has been elevated in such positive ways. SAAC is a leader in service, community support and Wildcat teamwork at Linfield. With that reputation established, the 2020-21 SAAC reps joining have more awareness of the leadership potential," said Associate Director of Athletics Jane Samuels, one of two SAAC co-advisors along with women's basketball coach Casey Bunn-Wilson.
 
"We are really excited about our new exec group! They are motivated and very dedicated to continue positively impacting the Linfield community," said Bunn-Wilson, who guided the student-athlete organization last year.
 
A team leader and three-year women's soccer letter winner, Reimer will be a senior in the fall. and is a psychology major.
 
"I am so excited to work with our amazing new SAAC reps and executive board," said the psychology major from Sherwood, Oregon. "It is great to see so many new faces in SAAC, reflecting the growing interest in this leadership position. The outgoing SAAC has created an environment that values what our student-athletes have to offer outside of competition. We hope to continue this legacy and inspire our fellow athletes to better serve and lead in the Linfield and McMinnville community."
 
Wood is a three-sport student-athlete at Linfield. He's competed on the gridiron for the football team the past four seasons and is set to compete be competing in indoor and outdoor track & field in 2020-21. The Lake Oswego, Oregon, native is a sport management major.
 
"I'm very excited to be a part of the next exec board. I believe SAAC as a whole has improved a ton over the last couple of years, which can be credited to the hard work of the outgoing exec board and members. Because of their hard work, SAAC is in a great place for next year and I'm excited to be able to help take it to the next level," said Wood.
 
A standout on the soccer field, Sponsel will be a senior next year. The Portland, Oregon, native is a leader on campus, serving as an executive board member on the ASLC cabinet and is the lone student representative on the college's Board of Trustees.
 
"I am super excited to be able to represent women's soccer on the SAAC executive board and continue to improve our athletic community. For SAAC, I am excited to see the impact we can make on the greater community as student athletes," said Sponsel, an exercise science major.
 
Meyer, the only member of the executive board who is not a senior in 2020-21, has been the pitching ace of the baseball team over the past two seasons. He is a Silverton, Oregon, resident.
 
"As the community outreach representative, I am excited to get to work and coordinate with all of Linfield's teams and give back to our community who has done so much for us. This past year, SAAC exec set a very high bar, but I think we have a great group of SAAC reps who are eager to help out," said Meyer, a health education major.
 
Reuter enters the fall as one of the key leaders on the women's basketball team and has been a SAAC representative for the past two years. Originally from Sherwood, Oregon, Reuter is a marketing major with a management minor.
 
"I'm excited to promote all sports at Linfield and get creative with the social media pages. This position will give me the opportunity to get the community more involved with our student-athletes. This new executive board has big shoes to fill but I believe we are more than capable. I hope we can use our leadership positions to achieve better community involvement and improve our school spirit."
 
Whittaker was a team captain of the men's soccer team as a junior in 2019, while also serving as the team's SAAC representative. He is a sport management major.
 
"I am really excited to continue and start a new role as an executive board member on SAAC. I think it's a great learning experience and an opportunity to gain good leadership qualities. I am looking forward to continuing the legacy instilled by previous exec members that made SAAC what it is today," said Whittaker, who is from Bothell, Washington.
 
"With the safety measures Linfield will implement and regularly update this year, I'm hopeful that this year's SAAC group can creatively engage Linfield students and employees to help keep our community connected and dynamic," added Samuels.