They are serving on NCAA Division II committees for basketball and volleyball.
Dr. Karen Hjerpe (left), Peter Coughlin, Jenni Morrison.
Two Vulcans athletics administrators are representing the University at the NCAA Division II level.
Jenni Morrison, Cal U’s associate athletic director of business operations and senior woman administrator, is beginning her first-year as chair of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Atlantic Region Committee. She has been a committee member for three years.
Athletic Director Dr. Karen Hjerpe is in her fourth and final year as the chair of the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Atlantic Region Committee.
Cal U women’s and men’s golf coach Peter Coughlin finished serving as the regional and national chair for men’s golf this past spring.
Regional committee chairs automatically serve on the national committees for those sports.
Responsibilities as chair include leading the regional committee in the review of teams and statistics each week and helping the national committee evaluate teams for weekly rankings and post-season tournament appearances.
“To have both Jenni and I on the national committee and Peter having already served certainly shows a level of commitment to each of the sports and a willingness to volunteer and serve,” Hjerpe said.
Obligations also include serving as NCAA site representative at both the regional and national tournaments. At the national tournaments, the committee members also participate in community service projects.
Hjerpe said at last year’s NCAA II volleyball championships, which were contested in Pittsburgh, Pa., her committee worked with student-athletes to distribute items to patients at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
“I have also visited veterans hospitals and worked with high school gym class students through my experiences,” she said. “It provides a great professional development opportunity because you get to work with leaders at other institutions as well as the NCAA staff while representing and talking about Cal U.”