St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Announces 2024-25 SAAC Executive Board
10/29/2024 3:59:00 PM | General
President Braeden Pratt attended the NCAA Division I SAAC Meeting in Indianapolis
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) announced its executive board for the 2024-25 school year.
The St. John's division of the nationwide council is made up of current Red Storm student-athletes, helping to enhance the student-athlete experience on campus and help with community outreach around Queens.
The executive board comprises six St. John's student-athletes from five different Red Storm programs. The members must attend all SAAC bi-weekly meetings and monthly executive board meetings.
Lacrosse senior Braeden Pratt will serve as the chapter's president, responsible for leading all meetings and serving as the spokesperson for the committee. In July, Pratt was selected to the NCAA Division I SAAC as the BIG EAST Conference's representative. He is one of 32 student-athletes from across the country to be named to the prestigious committee, which works hand-in-hand, providing a student-athlete perspective to the NCAA. Earlier this month, the two-year lacrosse captain attended the NCAA SAAC DI meeting in Indianapolis, Ind.
Joining Pratt on the Executive Board as vice president is Tara Daye of the women's basketball team. The junior guard from Newark, N.J., will be in charge of ensuring the top issues raised by SAAC Members are being addressed and resolved while serving as a leading voice to the rest of the committee. Daye represented the athletic department at the NIL Summit in Atlanta in June, a national conference with administrators and student-athletes from all over the country discussing how to navigate the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) landscape in college sports.
Natalie Casto assumes the role of chief of staff. The senior softball player's primary objective is to ensure communication through the entire committee stays fluid and consistent. She will also serve as a point of contact for both St. John's Big East SAAC representatives to make sure conference programming and initiatives are communicated appropriately with the rest of the group.
Karen Beglin from the women's golf squad will take over the role of community outreach coordinator. She will head the SAAC's public relations and social media efforts while working to identify community service opportunities in the athletic department as well as the school community.
The newly elected diversity and inclusion officer will be track and field's Desiree Pagan. Her focus will be ensuring that St. John's athletics continues to carry out its public commitment to inclusion for all and engaging with campus groups to promote inclusivity. The junior is also responsible for serving as a liaison between the St. John's Athletics Council on Community, Culture and Social Justice, SAAC and the student-athlete population at the school.
Rounding out the 2024-25 board is softball senior London Jarrard, who was named the advisor to the executive board. She will also serve as a liaison to the rest of the St. John's athletics student body, educating them about SAAC and the inner workings of the council, helping recruit new athletes to come to meetings and make their voices heard.
The current executive board will serve throughout the 2024-25 school year. The full board is below.
2024-25 St. John's SAAC Executive Board:
President – Braeden Pratt, Lacrosse
Vice President – Tara Daye, Women's Basketball
Chief of Staff – Natalie Casto, Softball
Community Outreach Coordinator – Karen Beglin, Women's Golf
Diversity and Inclusion Officer – Desiree Pagan, Track and Field
Advisor to the Executive Board – London Jarrard, Softball
