NEWARK, DE -- Rae Everson, a standout member of the field hockey team, has been elected President of the University of Delaware Student Athlete Advisory Council.

Everson (at right), a junior midfielder from Felton, DE (Caesar Rodney High School), was selected from a vote of Blue Hen student-athletes.

As president, Everson’s role is to direct SAAC, which is a group of Delaware student-athletes whose mission is to provide communication between the UD athletics administration, Student Services for Athletes, and Sports Medicine, with the student-athlete population and to encourage spirit, academic achievement, and community service by student-athletes.

A two-year letterwinner, Everson has played in 36 games, all starts, over the last two seasons. She scored one goal and dished out another last season and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll. She is an honor student as an athletic training major with a minor in strength and conditioning. She is the first minority student-athlete to hold the post at Delaware.

In addition to Everson, junior track and field runner Alex Gambogi was elected Vice-President, junior women’s track and field hurdler Alexi Capsouras was selected as secretary, and sophomore men’s track and field runner Kevin Kemmerle was elected treasurer.

Gambogi, a junior distance runner from Wilmington, DE (Salesianum School), has earned two letters in cross country and one in outdoor track at Delaware. A two-time member of the CAA Academic Honor Roll as a biology major, Gambogi competed in four cross country meets this past fall, finishing 26th at the Towson Invitational and 30th and 31st at the two Delaware Invitational meets. During the outdoor track and field season, he placed 10th in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at this year’s CAA Championships.

Capsouras, a junior honors criminal justice major from Randolph, NJ (Randolph High School), has earned three letters in both indoor and outdoor track and field as a hurdler and sprinter. She is a two-time ECAC Championship indoor qualifier and has posted four career Top 10 finishes in CAA Outdoor Championship competition, including a fourth place finish in the 400 meter hurdles in 2007. She owns an all-time Top 10 time in five different races indoors and outdoors at Delaware.

Kemmerle, a junior honors physical education major from Dover, DE (Dover High School), has earned two letters in cross country and one in outdoor track and field as a distance runner. He was named the 2006 UD men’s cross country Most Improved Runner and competed in all eight cross country meets in 2007, placing in the top 20 four times. He also finished 32nd at the CAA Championships. During this year’s outdoor track season, he placed 12th in the 10,000 meters at the CAA Championships.

Delaware Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Sue Groff and Assistant Director of UD Student Services for Athletes Kristine Coll serve as the co-advisors of the organization.