2011 NCAA Career in Sports Forum Info

MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois University Athletics announced that two student-athletes have been selected to attend the 2011 NCAA Career in Sports Forum, which will take place from June 12-15 in Indianapolis. Sophomore Chelsea Lynes (Track/Field and Cross Country) and junior Brooke Stittleburg (Volleyball) were selected by the NCAA to represent the Fighting Leathernecks. 

The four-day event allows selected student-athletes to explore and receive education on various careers in sports, with a primary focus on collegiate athletics. Student-athletes will examine the viability of selecting coaching or athletics administration as a full-time or part-time career. They will also benefit from the opportunity to network with key decision makers from member institutions and the NCAA. 

"The NCAA Career in Sports Forum is a tremendous opportunity for Brooke and Chelsea," said Dr. Tim M. Van Alstine, Western Illinois Director of Athletics. "They have a dream to work in collegiate athletics and the Athletics Department is committed to providing our student-athletes opportunities for personal growth. We feel fortunate and proud that Brooke and Chelsea will represent us at the national level." 

The NCAA covers all travel, lodging and meals costs for the student-athletes attending. Foundational skills such as communication, networking, recruiting, managing culture, transitioning and budgeting will be covered with participants as they examine key functions of being a coach or administrator within collegiate sports. At this conference, the NCAA markets coaching and administration as viable professions and attempts to dispel any myths about careers in athletics. 

Nominees were selected based on the criteria of student-athletes completing his/her third year of collegiate enrollment. According to Western Illinois Athletics Department CHAMPS/Life Skills Coordinator Sue Danner, 12 Leathernecks who were entering their junior year were nominated to the NCAA. 

Lynes and Stittleburg were chosen based on how they answered questions about their career objectives and how well they balanced sport participation with career goals. While many institutions did not have anyone selected, Western Illinois had two student-athletes chosen from a pool of 1,100 nominations and 850 completed applications. Overall, 303 student-athletes were selected to participate in 10 sport-specific coaching tracks and one administration track. 

Stittleburg (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) played in 28 matches last season and ranked third on the squad with 280 points. Over her three-year career, Stittleburg owns 409 kills and 654 digs in 79 matches. 

Stittleburg is a Biology and Medical Sciences major and is pursuing minors in Kinesiology and Psychology. She currently holds a 3.913 cumulative grade point average and serves as the President of Western Illinois' 2010-11 Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In addition, Stittleburg was elected the Secretary for the Summit League's 2010-11 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

Lynes (Woodstock, Ontario/Huron Park), a sophomore Exercise Science major and Management minor, was named to the 2009 Summit League Fall Academic All-League Team and earned 2010 Summit League District Scholar Honors (for a GPA of 3.60 or higher). Lynes owns a perfect 4.0 grade point average inside the classroom. 

Lynes had a breakout performance at Notre Dame's prestigious Meyo Invitational (Feb. 4) as she ran the fifth fastest 1000-meter run (2:56.78) in program history. A month later at Iowa State's Last Chance Qualifier (March 5), Lynes ran the third fastest 800-meter run in program history. In her first outdoor competition of 2011, Lynes ran the eighth fastest 800-meter run in program history at EIU's Big Blue Classic (April 2).