NEW PALTZ — SUNY New Paltz men’s volleyball standout Christopher Wright, an at-large member of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), has just been appointed to two SAAC subcommittees.
Wright, a Queens, NY native, has been selected to serve on both the Legislation and The NCAA News Project Teams.
The Legislation Project Team, which also includes Vassar College field hockey player Julie Katz and College of New Jersey wrestler Pete Justo, will be the student-athlete liaison with the NCAA Division III Management Council. Wright’s other assignment will allow him to interact directly with the NCAA’s official newspaper, The NCAA News, and fellow subcommittee members, Mike Wortley (Cross Country/Track and Field, Johns Hopkins) and Lenny Mediavilla (Men’s Soccer, Wentworth Institute of Technology).
Wright recently attended the 95th Annual NCAA Convention at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where he was one of just 24 student-athletes nationally representing more than 400 Division III institutions. He is the current chair of New Paltz’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has been an advocate locally for student-athletes since his arrival on campus in 1997.
A 1993 graduate of LaGuardia High School for the Arts in New York City, Wright spent four years in the United States Navy, where, among other things, he guided pilots landing military aircraft. In 1995, he was the starting middle blocker and one of just 10 servicemen worldwide selected to the exclusive All-Navy volleyball team. He was honorably discharged from the military in August 1997 with the title of Aviation Electronics Technician Third Class.
This past fall, Wright, a senior interpersonal/intercultural communications major with a minor in journalism, tried his hand at coaching, as a student assistant for New Paltz’s women’s volleyball team.
Since 1999, he has worked in New Paltz’s sports information office, and previously served the university’s athletic department as a games administration student coordinator and worker.
On the volleyball court, Wright has also been very visible. He recently began his fourth season as a starter for New Paltz (2-2), which is currently ranked ninth in Division III. Two of the last three years Wright was selected to the All-Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) All-Star team.
In addition, last March he was recognized as the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Division III National Player of the Week, and he needed less than three years to surpass 1,000 career kills. Wright will likely achieve career milestones of 400 blocks, 300 digs and 100 service aces sometime during the 2001 season.
Note to editors: Photos of Christopher Wright can be downloaded from the SUNY New Paltz web site at http://www.newpaltz.edu/news/images/wright.html.
