NCAA Division I SAAC Landing Page
INDIANAPOLIS - The leader of NM State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is set to expand her SAAC role - this time on a national level.
In an announcement made Thursday, NM State swimming & diving's Katherine Harston has been appointed as a member of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the 2021-22 academic year. Harston's term in that role began Tuesday, June 1, 2021 and will conclude on May 30, 2022.
The NCAA Division I SAAC is comprised of 32 members (one student-athlete from each of the NCAA Division I conferences around the nation) and comments and reacts to legislative proposals, issues of interest and actions of the Division.
"I am incredibly excited to be able to represent student athletes at a national level," commented Harston. "I look forward to developing connections with other student athletes that can impact ideas, decisions, and policies. I plan to continue to represent and direct my fellow student athletes on social, academic, and athletically related affairs."
As a member of the NCAA Division I SAAC for the next year, Harston's will be partly responsible for continuing its ongoing mission which is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by protecting student-athlete well-being, fostering a positive student-athlete image and inclusive student-athlete environment, and promoting student-athlete engagement at the national, conference and local levels.
"Kat is the personification of the word student-athlete," said NM State Director of Athletics Mario Moccia. "She has excelled tremendously in the classroom and in the pool all while supporting our community with voluntary efforts. She exemplifies our three core values; academic integrity, social responsibility and athletic intensity. Kat has represented the WAC through the previous year as President of SAAC and I am constantly impressed on how well she handles her significant responsibilities. Being selected to the NCAA Division I SAAC is a tremendous accomplishment when you consider only 32 individuals are chosen out of over 176,000 student athletes nationally. She has certainly made New Mexico State University proud."
During Harston's most recent season of competition, she helped the Aggies claim a runner up finish at the 2021 WAC Swimming & Diving Championships. Harston was a member of her team's 400-medley relay team which posted a second-place finish at the aforementioned event. For that, as well as for placing among the two eight finishers in two of the three individual races she competed in, Harston collected All-WAC Second Team honors.
One of the most well-rounded student-athletes on NM State's campus, Harston found herself on the receiving end of her team's Linda Schroeder Academic Award at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Not only did the Littleton, Colo., product serve as NM State's SAAC president for the 2020-21 academic year, she maintained an exemplary 3.93 while majoring in kinesiology performance psychology with minors in chemistry and psychology.
"On behalf of the Western Athletic Conference I want to congratulate Kat on her appointment to the Division I National SAAC," remarked WAC Associate Commissioner of Compliance and Governance Marlon Edge. "Kat's selection to represent the league's student-athletes at the national level is a true testament to the leadership and service she has displayed in her role as the WAC SAAC President and as a member of the WAC Council. Kat's exemplary work in her various roles within the WAC governance structure has prepared her for this opportunity. I firmly believe she will thrive as a member of the D-I SAAC and grow the WAC's reputation for excellent service on the Committee."
As NM State's SAAC President, this past year with COVID the Aggies' SAAC branch worked within a unique environment to promote the student-athlete experience at NMSU. NM State's SAAC did so through different initiatives surrounding diversity/inclusion, voting, and student athletes mental health in relation to quarantine in the fall and return to competition in the spring.
Also an active member of the WAC's SAAC group, Harston helped impose similar initiatives as NM State. The main focus of the fall featured the WAC's SAAC passing legislation for Election Day to be a day off from all athletically related activities excluding competition. It is the hope of Harston and the rest of the WAC's SAAC group that this will find a continuation through future elections to bring awareness to the importance of voting.
For complete coverage of Aggie athletics as NM State's teams gear up for their respective 2021-22 campaigns, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Aggies), Twitter (@NMStateAggies) and Instagram (@NMStateAggies).
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