The inaugural Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Student Athlete Advisory Committee held its first meeting Wednesday, September 12 at the IGHSAU offices in West Des Moines.
The 11-member committee is comprised of female student-athletes representing various sized schools across Iowa. Two female athletes from each of the state's four districts (NE, SE, NW, SW), along with three "at-large" representatives were selected to two-year terms and will meet on issues related to girls high school athletic activities in Iowa. Committee members act as a voice for Iowa’s female student-athletes and as a sounding board for the IGHSAU’s Representative Council and Board of Directors.
Committee members will also assist in the promotion of the educational values of interscholastic athletics. The committee will discuss and provide feedback for issues dealing with sportsmanship, safety, student leadership and participation. Committee members will also serve as student ambassadors at various state tournaments throughout the year.
The IGHSAU Student Athlete Advisory Committee members for the 2018-19 school year are: Carly Campbell of Williamsburg; Jasmine Rumley of Ankeny; Sydney Hartsock of Creston; Nashua-Plainfield’s Faith Carpenter; Halle Brester of Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Payton Douglass of Panorama; Sydney Lane of Grand View Christian; Reegan Zinkula of Grundy Center, Carli Spelhaug of Pleasant Valley; Maddie Peterson of Central DeWitt; and Riley Bell from Central Decatur.
Bell is a junior at Central Decatur. Riley participates in softball, basketball and track and has been competing in athletics since playing t-ball when she was five. She also takes part in academic team, FCA, FFA, ROCCS, 4-H and her church’s youth group.
Brester is a junior at Sergeant Bluff-Luton. Halle is involved in volleyball, bowling and track. She was a member of Sergeant Bluff’s 2017 state runner-up volleyball team. She is also active in E-club, student council and National Honor Society.
Campbell is a sophomore at Williamsburg and participates in volleyball, basketball, soccer and softball. Carly is a member of the Williamsburg band and student council and is active outside of school in 4-H and the youth group at her church.
Carpenter is a junior at Nashua-Plainfield, where she is a member of the cross country, basketball and track teams. Faith is a member of the National Honor Society, FFA, 4-H, National History Day and student council.
Douglass participates in volleyball, track, cheer, dance team and soccer. Payton is a junior at Panorama High School.
Hartsock is a junior at Creston and participates in basketball, cross country and golf. She also participates in the school’s musical each year. Sydney is involved in Future Business Leaders of America, FCA and her church’s youth group.
Lane is a sophomore at Grand View Christian. Sydney participates in basketball, basketball and softball. She states that softball is her favorite sport has played it since she was five years old.
Peterson is a senior at Central DeWitt High School and has participated in track and cross country. Maddie is also a competitive dancer in the Quad Cities and is a member of FBLA, FCA, athletic leadership and the National Honor Society.
Rumley is a junior at Ankeny High School, where she is a decorated swimmer, track athlete and softball player for the Hawks.
Spelhaug is a senior at Pleasant Valley High School. Carli participates on the Spartans’ basketball, track and softball teams. She was a starter on Pleasant Valley’s two-time defending Class 5A state championship teams. Carli will play college softball and states that her favorite subjects are math and science.
Zinkula is a senior at Grundy Center High School. Reegan participates in cross country, tennis and basketball, where she was a part of the Spartans' basketball team that placed second in Class 2A last season. She is a member of the FFA, student senate and takes part in Musical Theatre.