LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has elected six officers for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year.
 
Rising seniors Emily Duchesne (Hooksett, N.H.) of the women's soccer team and Jared Zaniewski (Sandwich, Mass.) of the men's lacrosse team, were voted President and Vice President, respectively, by the 2016-2017 SAAC Committee.
 
Duchesne and Zaniewski both served on the SAAC executive board this past season, and assisted with the two major SAAC events; Santa Bash and Bowling For IMPACT. 
 
"I am extremely excited to see what our elected 2017-2018 execuitve board representatives do to impact the community and continue to grow SAAC," said Michael Anderson, Athletic Academic Coordinator. "With this being our first year fully through the NCAA Division I transition, SAAC will have a larger role in promoting the positive student-athlete image. I believe Emily brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the presidency and will continue to build relationships we have in athletics and across our university. All of these strong and strategic leaders will bring our athletics programs into a new era."

Samantha McQueen (Ewing, N.J.) of softball, Connor Bennett (Wilmington, Mass.) of men's basketball, Grant Lardieri (Ada, Mich.) of men's lacrosse and Katie Luchino (Freehold, N.J.) of field hockey were all selected amongst their peers as executive board members. McQueen will also continue her role as UMass Lowell's Team IMPACT campus representative for the second consecutive season.

Joe Conti (Annapolis, Md.) from the men's soccer team received the UMass Lowell SAAC Michelle Silveira Heart and Soul Award at the annual SAAC end of the year banquet last week. Silveira, a 30-year Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union employee, is a graduate of UMass Lowell with a degree in business management. The naming of the Michelle Silveira Heart & Soul Award recognizes her commitment to community involvement and passion for volunteerism, while honoring UMass Lowell student athletes who demonstrate the same passion for giving back. 
 
SAAC is a student-athlete leadership team working to bring about positive change at the institutional and NCAA Division I Athletic level while providing an outlet for student-athletes to discuss issues specific to student-athlete life and development.