Clarksville, Ark.-Emily Black?s story featuring the University of the Ozarks' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) working at the Special Olympics Arkansas State Track and Field event won the July NCAA Division III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll.
The NCAA Division III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll is a story-telling initiative located on ncaa.org/D3SpecialOlympics and features three new stories per month – each highlighting a Division III and Special Olympics joint activity or event.
With 1,693 of 3,070 votes (55%), U of O won $500 towards its next Special Olympics activity. Additionally, U of O will be recognized in the NCAA Division III Monthly Newsletter and on NCAA Division III social media channels.
Black, the director of social media for the sports information office and a junior marketing major, highlighted U of O student-athletes and its athletic staff assisting the Olympians at the April 25 event in Clarksville. Incoming campus SAAC President Whitney Lewis, who spearheaded a media campaign of her own in behalf of the story, was excited to hear her school was victorious.
"I am very excited that University of the Ozarks has won $500 for our future Special Olympics’ event,” said Lewis, a senior women’s tennis player from Clarksville. “To win this is a huge success for Emily, our university, local Special Olympics, Ozarks’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Ozarks’ athletic department, the American Southwest Conference, and our Clarksville community. I am privileged that our university is representing the NCAA Division III at an exceptional level. Emily did a fantastic job of highlighting what occurred during the Special Olympics event. I want to congratulate her on an article that truly showcases her talents as a writer and a reporter."
Topics: Athletics