Glen Ellyn Resident Appointed to NCAA Division III Advisory Committee

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Jenna Ortega

DELAWARE, OH (05/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Ohio Wesleyan University field hockey and women's lacrosse player Jenna Ortega has been appointed to a three-year term on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Ortega, a sophomore from Glen Ellyn, Ill., begins her Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) appointment May 1, 2012, and serves through May 1, 2015. The committee's mission is to "enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image." The SAAC also offers input on any rules, regulations, and policies that impact NCAA student-athletes.

"As a member of the NCAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, I am able to represent the North Coast Athletic Conference [NCAC], Ohio Wesleyan, and myself as a Division III athlete," said Ortega, a defender on the Battling Bishop field hockey team. "I am able to be involved in the beginning stages of any issues that are later brought up through the conference and school's SAACs. I will be able to see how the SAAC works at the national level and how the NCAC and OWU differ from other Division III schools."

Ortega has served as a member of Ohio Wesleyan's student-athlete advisory committee since her freshman year and is the 2012 vice president. She also has served as a member of the NCAC's student-athlete advisory committee.

"Being a member of the two SAACs has given me the ability to voice my opinion for OWU athletics and myself as an athlete," said Ortega, named by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association as a second-team All-Great Lakes Region choice for 2011-2012. "Once I discovered that I could be involved in the issues and decisions for Division III athletics, I quickly jumped to the opportunity to apply for the position."

At Ohio Wesleyan, Ortega is pursuing a double major in Spanish and health and human kinetics with a sports science concentration. After graduation, she plans to seek an advanced degree and a subsequent career in either athletic training or physical therapy.

Rock Jones, Ph.D., president of Ohio Wesleyan, praised Ortega for her athletic and academic success, as well as her commitment to the university, NCAC, and NCAA advisory committees.

"Not only is Jenna a leader on the playing field, but she is committed to her studies and to serving others," Jones said. "She was one of the driving forces behind this year's Bishop Champion Games, an Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Council event for special needs athletes. We are very proud of Jenna and look forward to watching her contribute and flourish as a member of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee."

Learn more about Battling Bishop athletics at http://www.battlingbishops.com. Learn more NCAA Division III athletics at http://www.ncaa.org.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio's capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU's close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives," and is included on the "best colleges" lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

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