NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Regional Champions to Visit Erie Area Schools
Posted: March 21, 2014Local youth will get a chance to meet some of the nation's top
student-athletes up close next week when teams, fans and media
converge on Erie, Pa. for the 2014 NCAA Division II Women's
Basketball Elite Eight hosted by Gannon University and the Erie
Insurance Arena.
As part of the NCAA Division II Community Engagement
initiatives, the eight regional champions participating in the NCAA
Division II Elite Eight will visit local area schools throughout
the day on Monday, March 24.
Each individual team will bring a message to the school's
students about teamwork, loyalty, academics and commitment. The
student-athletes relate to the youth what it means to be a
student-athlete and tips on becoming successful on the court and in
the game of life. The visits also include games and activities with
the teams and students.
"Our Gannon student-athletes have been fortunate to participate
in the community engagement in 2010 in St. Joseph, Ind. and 2013
in San Antonio, Texas," said Gannon Director of Athletics Mark
Richard. "It's always one of the trip's highlights. The teams have
as much fun if not more than the students. And the message they
bring has a great effect on our youth. This is yet another great
aspect of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight and
its effect on our community."
Last season, the Gannon women's basketball team visited Kazen
Middle School in San Antonio, Texas as part of its Elite Eight
trip. Video of the community engagement can be found here. One of the highlights included the Lady
Knights performing a Harlem Shake with the students, which can be
viewed here. A photo gallery of the event
can also be viewed here.