Almost forty Lone Star Conference student-athletes and athletic administrators met in Kingsville, Texas, July 29-31, for the league’s sixth annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Summer Retreat.

   The three-day event, which took place on the Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus, is intended to help improve communication amongst LSC SAAC groups and to help energize student-athletes with ideas and “best practices” to be implemented during the academic year.

   “This group of student-athletes was really impressive in how they bonded together and embraced everything we did this weekend,” said Jay Poerner, LSC assistant commissioner who oversees the conference SAAC efforts. “They really took ownership of the retreat and shared a lot of great ideas with each other.”

   The participants arrived on Friday and met before having dinner, which was hosted by Dr. Steven Tallant, President of TAMUK, at the Memorial Student Union building due to inclement weather. After dinner, the group went bowling.

   The retreat continued on Saturday with community service involving the Boys and Girls Clubs of Alice and Kingsville and the Kingsville Youth Ballet Folklorico. Then, following lunch they toured King Ranch before heading to Emerald Beach in Corpus Christi. The group enjoyed swimming and beach volleyball, football and baseball before dinner.

   The event concluded Sunday with meetings.  Topics discussed during the retreat included Make-A-Wish fundraising, LSC SAAC community service month, Campus SAAC engagement, LSC SAAC Cup, LSC needy student-athlete fund, degree completion scholarship program and NCAA proposed legislation. The student-athletes and advisors also participated in a DiSC Behavioral Assessment program.

   The LSC SAAC Cup was awarded to Texas A&M-Kingsville for the second straight year based on their efforts during 2010-11. The purpose of the cup is to encourage participation in conference SAAC initiatives. Kingsville totaled 16,556 points to earn the third-ever cup along with customized t-shirts. Abilene Christian (11,608) and West Texas A&M (9,667) rounded out the top three schools. The award is based on involvement in six categories: LSC SAAC meetings, Campus SAAC meetings, Make-A-Wish, Community Service Month, other community service and the NCAA Legislative grid.

   Nearly all of the LSC’s 11 member institutions were represented at the retreat, with Abilene Christian football player David Pillen and Kingsville track & field athlete Robert Guzman representing the LSC on the NCAA Division II National SAAC.

   Student-athlete's who attended the Summer Retreat were: Erika Dupree, West Texas A&M University, VB; Flynn Harrell, Tarleton State University, VB; Devon Herrman, Texas A&M University-Commerce, SOC; Kelsey Merritt, Angelo State University, CC; Danielle Suarez, University of the Incarnate Word, VB; Jordan Readicker, Texas Woman’s University, SB; Megan Richardson, Midwestern State University, GOLF ; Alexis Williams, Cameron University, BKB; Sharna Hoosier, Cameron University, BKB; Chaynade Knowles, Texas Woman’s University, GYM; Erin Gilliland, Abilene Christian University, SB; Beth Etter, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, SB; Shonta Dobbins, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, BKB; Sherman Batiste, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, FB; Alvin Johnson, Angelo State University, FB; Thomas Harris, West Texas A&M University, CC/T&F; Stephen Lucke, University of the Incarnate Word, T&F; Hayden Eubanks, Tarleton State University, T&F; Brent Schroeder, Abilene Christian University, FB; David Pillen, Abilene Christian University, FB; Larry Horn Jr., Texas A&M University-Commerce, FB; Robert Guzman, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, T&F.

   Present as advisors were: Stan Wagnon, Jay Poerner and Travis Whipple, Lone Star Conference; Mark Papich, University of the Incarnate Word; Ann Varner, Abilene Christian University; Stacy Duffell, Angelo State University; Michelle Warner, Cameron University; Mary Domine-Schindler, Tarleton State University; Judy Sackfield, Texas A&M University-Commerce; Charolette Hunt, Texas Woman’s University; Courtney Lee, West Texas A&M University; Kurt Portmann, Midwestern State University; and Amanda Knight, Texas A&M University-Kingsville.