ELMHURST, Ill. - The Summit League recently announced its newly-elected Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) officers for the 2010-11 academic year following its annual meeting last month. Two Western Illinois student-athletes were voted to executive positions with the organization.

Senior golfer Tim Harwood was voted as the League's SAAC President while junior volleyball player Brooke Stittleburg was selected as Secretary. North Dakota State women's basketball player Abby Plucker named Vice President.

This is the first time that two Leatherneck student-athletes were voted officers at the same time. Another Leatherneck student-athlete, Eric Anerino, is the Summit League's representative for the NCAA Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"We are very proud of our student-athletes working with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and the leadership roles they take with our Athletic Department, the Summit League and NCAA. SAAC members take on these duties in addition to their academic workload and competition schedule. To have both Tim and Brooke voted as Summit League SAAC officers says a lot about their character, work they have done with the organization, and dedication to serving their peers," said Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine.

Harwood, a member of the SAAC since 2008, is involved in numerous community service activities throughout the Macomb and Western Illinois University communities. For the past three years, the senior has participated in the Think Pink fundraising initiatives for breast cancer awareness, the We Care volunteer project and the Shaymus Relays on the WIU campus. He has also volunteered his time to the Rocky's Reach and Edison Outreach, both after school programs through the Macomb Public Elementary Schools. Additional activities Harwood has participated in include the Bowl for Kids Sake and The Summit League Food Fight initiative. On the golf course, Harwood was named the Most Improved Player in 2008 and is one of the co-captains of this year's squad.

Stittleburg, a physical therapy major, is involved in the WIU Shaymus Relays and the Western We Care campus beautification project. She has also volunteered her time through the Adopt-a-Street campaign and at Lincoln Elementary School. The junior is a member of both the Beta Beta Beta and Phi Eta Sigma honoraries and is one of three captains for the WIU volleyball team this season.

Plucker, a dietetics major and Vice President of the Student Dietetic Association at NDSU, has been recognized on the Dean's List five semesters, is a three-time Academic All-League receipient and two-time member of the Summit League Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence. A two-year captain for the Bison, this senior is involved in many campus and community service activities including the Fargo/Moorhead Blood Drive, the Great Plains Food Bank, the Ronald McDonald House, Bison Buddies, the 61-for-61 Roger Maris Cancer Walk, the YWCA Battered Women's Shelter Chocolate Fantasy Fundraiser and number reading programs throughout the Fargo area.

"I would like to congratulate these three student-athletes on being elected to leadership roles through the League's SAAC," Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple said. "It is always great to see student-athletes getting involved on different committees such as the SAAC to help make a difference in their respective communities and represent not only their schools but the League in a positive light."

Now in its 29th year, The Summit League offers 19 championship sports and has a combined enrollment of over 125,000 at 10 member institutions: Centenary College of Louisiana, IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne), IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis), UMKC (University of Missouri-Kansas City), North Dakota State University, Oakland University, Oral Roberts University, South Dakota State University, Southern Utah University and Western Illinois University. The Summit League has two associate members in the University of South Dakota, who will begin full Summit League membership in 2011-12 and currently serves as an associate member for swimming and diving, and Eastern Illinois University, which currently competes in swimming and diving and will join in men's soccer in 2011.

Some information used from thesummitleague.org