Knox College SAAC Mission Statement
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) promotes and maintains among the Knox College intercollegiate student-athletes good sportsmanship, academic excellence and involvement in the campus and local community. SAAC members represent all sports and work with the SAAC advisors regularly and through interaction positively impact the general administration of the athletics program to the benefit of the intercollegiate sports participants.
| 2025-26 SAAC Team Representatives |
Kent Putman Jr., Football
President
|
Lance Miller, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Vice-President
|
 Nathaniel Zug, Men’s Golf
MWC Representative |
 Janet Lentini, Softball
MWC Representative |
 Brenlie Bartlett, Softball |
 Luke Mathieu, Baseball |
 Buckie Zamora, Baseball |
 Emily Jacobs, Women’s Soccer |
 Bri Mahoney, Women’s Soccer |
 Apostolos Karamperis, Men’s Soccer |
 Carlos Rebello da Silva, Men’s Soccer |
 Braedy Phelan, Men’s Basketball |
 Jayden McNabb, Men’s Basketball |
 Nayeli Nidez Acuña, Women’s Basketball |
 Sarah Finley, Women’s Basketball |
 Mayra Diaz, Volleyball |
 Maria Jabor Jahn, Volleyball |
 Kierre Turner, Football |
 Andrew Martinez, Football |
 Jaxson Forman, Men’s Golf |
| Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Cross Country/Track & Field |
 Maliah Blakemore, Advisor |
Why We Play D-III Athletics
by Sean Sornsin, baseball student-athlete, Cornell College
"It's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter. It's a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. We do it all for our teammates and for the student in our calculus class that we don't even know.
We don't practice with a future major league first baseman; we practice with a future sports agent. We don't lift weights with a future Olympic wrestler; we lift with a future doctor. We don't run with a future Wimbledon champion; we run with a future CEO. It's a bigger part of us than our friends and family can understand. Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans; sometimes 25. But we still play hard. You cheer for us because you know us. You know more than just our names. Like all of you, we are students first. We don't sign autographs. But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams, and student body petitions. When we miss a kick or strike out, we don't let down an entire state. We only let down our teammates, coaches, and fans.
But the hurt is still the same. We train hard, lift, throw, run, kick, tackle, shoot, dribble, and lift some more, and in the morning we go to class. And in that class we are nothing more than students. It's about pride in ourselves, in our school. It's about our love and passion for the game. And when it's over, when we walk off that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what few can claim...college athletes."
(This article first appeared in the Dec. 3, 1999 edition of The Cornellian, the student newspaper at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.)
