Final D-III Week Q&As

The second-annual NCAA Division III Week concludes today, Sunday, April 14. To help in this week-long celebration of all the attributes that makes Division III great, the MIAC Media Blog is highlighting some of the members of the conference's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The MIAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) supports student-athletes by providing the communication of ideas and concerns between student-athletes and the MIAC within a structure that will promote active involvement. MIAC SAAC is also committed to engaging in campus and community service projects and to serving as positive role models for their peers and younger student-athletes.

Join us in celebrating Division III athletics throughout the week, and get to know some of the MIAC SAAC student-athletes. Happy Division III Week! We close a tremendous week with two final MIAC SAAC Q&As ... hope everyone enjoyed getting to know some of the MIAC's student-athletes!

MIAC Media Blog - Division III Week SAAC Q&A

Danny Shields, Carleton College

 

Name: Danny Shields
School: Carleton College
Sport: Football
Year: Junior
Hometown: Richfield, Minn.
Major: Economics

MIAC: What do you think is the most important aspect of NCAA Division III that should be celebrated during Division III Week?

SHIELDS: The D-III student-athletes! D-III student-athletes play for love of the game and athletic competition. D-III athletes deserve the respect of their coaches, their schools and the fans because they play for their teams and their schools, without expectation of personal gain or financial reward. 

MIAC: What is your favorite aspect of being a Division III and MIAC student-athlete?

SHIELDS: I have been so fortunate to have incredible football and baseball teammates at Carleton. Whether it was competing together during a game, or studying for an exam, the time spent with these guys has truly been a blessing for me. They are my family away from home.

MIAC: Name someone at your school who has made a huge impact on either your athletic or academic career. How has their guidance influenced you?

SHIELDS: Professor Jenny Bourne, the Carleton Faculty Athletic Representative and our number one economics professor, has been a great mentor to me not only in the classroom, but in athletics as well. Jenny is the smartest person I have ever met, and cares more about her students that anyone I know. My conversations with her about NCAA athletics, the MIAC, coaches and players, have been invaluable to me as I have balanced academics and athletics. I have enjoyed the econ classes I have taken from her, and I know they have prepared me for life after college.

On the flipside, Carleton is known for its academics and not athletics. There are students and professors here at Carleton who couldn’t care less about sports. Jenny is the opposite: She is supportive of all the athletes and has a genuine love for sports that is unfortunately unusual among the faculty at Carleton. She understands the time and effort student athletes put in and the sacrifices we make.  

MIAC: What's your favorite athletic moment of your college career so far?

SHIELDS:  My favorite athletic moment was my first collegiate start at quarterback when we beat Macalester in overtime. My running back set a school record for rushing that day, so I had a lot of fun just watching him go!  It was a great feeling holding up the ‘Book of Knowledge’ after the game with my teammates.

MIAC: What's your favorite non-athletic moment of your college career so far?

SHIELDS: This past November, I was able to attend the 2012 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Dallas, Texas. It was a life changing experience that I will never forget. I met and discussed collegiate athletic issues with a group of amazing student athletes, and very successful coaches and athletic directors. I learned so much from them all.   

MIAC: What are your future plans, and how has your experience as a Division III student-athlete shaped you for success beyond college?

SHIELDS: This summer I will return to Target Corporation for a leadership development internship. After graduation and the end of my football career, I plan on continuing to play baseball while I approach the beginning of my work career. My experience as a student athlete has taught me many things including proper time management, the importance of true friendship, and anger management!

MIAC: Thanks to Danny for joining the MIAC Media Blog's Q&A Series! Stay tuned to the blog throughout the week to get to know some of the conference's outstanding student-athletes, and visit the MIAC's Division III Week Home Page to see all the events and content throughout the conference through this very special week! 

MIAC Media Blog - Division III Week SAAC Q&A

Eric Dooley, Augsburg College

Name: Eric Dooley

School: Augsburg

Sport: Football

Year: Senior

Hometown: Eagan, Minn.

Major: Physics/Secondary Education

Minor: Math

MIAC: What do you think is the most important aspect of NCAA Division III that should be celebrated during Division III Week?

DOOLEY: I believe that we are the truest form of the student-athlete.  We are students first on all counts and our prowess in the classroom really sets us apart.  We are able to balance school, family, friends, and a job on top of being athletes.  Division III student-athletes do all of this without the aid of sport-related scholarship money, too.

MIAC: What is your favorite aspect of being a Division III and MIAC student-athlete?

DOOLEY: I love being able to play at a competitive level in the best Division III conference in the country.  We have a proud tradition in the MIAC of putting out great athletes and even better scholars.  Getting a great education and playing great competition really sets us apart. 

MIAC: Name someone at your school who has made a huge impact on either your athletic or academic career. How has their guidance influenced you?

DOOLEY: Josh 'BG' Corrigan made a big impact on my athletic career.  He was a senior offensive lineman when I was a freshman at the same position.  He took me under his wing and taught me what it meant to play tackle at a high level, while teaching me a few of the tricks he kept up his sleeve too.  

Academically, Ron Petrich in our education department helped me truly want to pursue being an educator.  He was a former baseball coach as well, so he understood the balance that is required of coaching and teaching.

MIAC: What's your favorite athletic moment of your college career so far?

DOOLEY: Hearing 12,000 fans go quiet in Collegeville when we threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass with 0.6 seconds left in the game to win 32-31.

MIAC: What's your favorite non-athletic moment of your college career so far?

DOOLEY: Being able to perform two summers of research through our physics department.

MIAC: What are your future plans, and how has your experience as a Division III student-athlete shaped you for success beyond college?

DOOLEY: I plan on getting my teaching license for grades 9-12 physics with an endorsement in math.  While teaching I want to coach football, to give back to the sport that has helped shaped me today and provide opportunities for young athletes to enjoy football.  Being a Division III athlete has helped me time manage like it's my job!  So being able to keep focus and be productive with a lot on my plate will help me anywhere.

MIAC: Thanks to Eric as well, for joining the MIAC Media Blog's Q&A Series! Thanks for following the blog throughout the week to learn more about some of the MIAC's outstanding student-athletes, and visit the MIAC's Division III Week Home Page to see all the events and content throughout the conference through this very special week!