Junior center midfielder Megan Radosta was elected as the league’s first ever president during their yearly conference.

Allie Pritchett, Viking Fusion Executive Director

MOUNT BERRY, Ga.-Sunday the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) voted Berry College student Megan Radosta as the league’s first elected president for the next year during their yearly conference.

The Student Athletic Advisory Committee is made up of student-athletes “to provide insight on the student-athlete experience,” according to the SAA website. Those on the committee are responsible for being the voice of the National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes and reviewing NCAA proposed legislation for the year.

“I am delighted that Megan was selected by her peers to become the President of our SAA-SAAC,” SAA Commissioner Jay Gardiner said. “She has already shown tremendous leadership and organization. I look forward to working closely with her during the next few months to enhance the quality and quantity of the works our great student-athletes of our conference-wide SAAC are doing.”

A NCAA-wide SAAC was established in 1989, however the SAA chapter was not active until the 2012-2013 season. Since 2012, participating colleges send one male and one female representative to a league-wide conference every year, and these student athletes make up the SAA SAAC. This is the first year that the league’s SAAC members elected an executive board, according to SAA Assistant Commissioner Clayton Felts.

 “I’m excited because this is the first time this has ever been done, and it is a chance for me to make it my own and make this position something that I want it to be,” Radosta said.

Radosta, of Sandy Springs, Georgia, is a junior center midfielder for the Berry women’s soccer team. She was named to the SAA All-Conference second team after starting all 14 games and scoring 4 goals for the Vikings this season. Radosta ended the season averaging 13.1 shots per game, with 44 shots taken this season, according to the Berry Vikings website. She is currently the secretary for Berry’s chapter of the SAAC as well.

“It’s fantastic that Megan is being recognized at the conference level for being the genuine, caring, thoughtful person we all know and appreciate,” Head Coach Lorenzo Canalis said. “I am proud of her, and I know she will take this honor and responsibility seriously.”

Radosta was elected president alongside Brett Feringa of Birmingham-Southern as vice-president. Feringa is a junior men’s soccer player from Covington, Louisiana.

Gardiner said of Feringa, “working closely with Megan, I expect great things to happen for the SAA.”