University of Tennessee Athletics
Four Tennessee Student-Athlete Leaders Set to Visit SEC Headquarters
June 23, 2023 | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Track & Field, Women's Basketball
SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Councils and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee convening in Birmingham
Four Tennessee student-athletes are among leaders from throughout the Southeastern Conference set to participate in a meeting of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council this weekend in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Meeting attendees include representatives from all 14 of the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC), Football Leadership Councils and Men's and Women's Basketball Leadership Councils.
Representing Tennessee this weekend are football player Omari Thomas, track & field athlete Mikele Vickers, women's basketball player Tamari Key and men's basketball player Jahmai Mashack.
Thomas, an SEC Academic Honor Roll member majoring in Journalism and Electronic Media, was as a starter at defensive tackle on the Vols' 11-win Orange Bowl title team last season. Thomas is also serving on the SEC Football Leadership Council for the second straight year. He recorded 26 tackles, four pass breakups and two sacks last fall.
A rising senior from Nashville, Vickers has been a member of the Lady Vol track & field program since the fall of 2020 and competes in the horizontal jumps. She served as a member of the 2021-22 VOLeaders Academy cohort that traveled to Rwanda for the program's annual cultural immersion service trip in July of 2021. On the track, Vickers has contributed scoring performances at the SEC Indoor Championships in each of the past two seasons, placing seventh in the long jump in 2023 and seventh in the triple jump in 2022.
A rising redshirt senior, Key has started 93 of 99 career games at center for Tennessee, shooting 59.4 percent from the field and averaging 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. She holds UT records for most blocks in a season (119), highest block average in a season (3.500), most blocks in a career (277) and highest block average in a career (3.08). She also stands first for most triple-doubles in a career (2) at UT and is tied for the most in a season with one each as a sophomore and junior. The 2021-22 All-SEC recipient and two-time SEC All-Defensive Team honoree is a three-time SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council and SAAC Representative. Additionally, she is a 2020-21 product of UT's VOLeaders Academy and a member of the 2021-22 SEC Community Service Team.
Mashack is a rising junior guard who—in addition to serving on the SEC Men's Basketball Leadership Council—was also enrolled in UT's prestigious VOLeaders Academy this year and was recently selected as the SEC's representative on the NCAA Men's Basketball Oversight Committee's Student-Athlete Engagement Group. A 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District honoree, Mashack made 13 starts last season—including all three of Tennessee's NCAA Tournament games—and earned a reputation as one of the SEC's best perimeter defenders.
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During the two-day event, the Council will hear presentations from Blair Bloomston of Game On Nation and Will Baggett of Emergent Executives. They will engage the student-athletes on the topics of mental health and personal and professional development. The agenda also includes conversations with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and SEC Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Katie O'Neal.
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The SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council provides an opportunity for SEC student-athletes to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff. Leadership Councils for football and men's and women's basketball, along with SAAC, provide a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness and playing rules.
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Meeting attendees include representatives from all 14 of the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC), Football Leadership Councils and Men's and Women's Basketball Leadership Councils.
Representing Tennessee this weekend are football player Omari Thomas, track & field athlete Mikele Vickers, women's basketball player Tamari Key and men's basketball player Jahmai Mashack.
Thomas, an SEC Academic Honor Roll member majoring in Journalism and Electronic Media, was as a starter at defensive tackle on the Vols' 11-win Orange Bowl title team last season. Thomas is also serving on the SEC Football Leadership Council for the second straight year. He recorded 26 tackles, four pass breakups and two sacks last fall.
A rising senior from Nashville, Vickers has been a member of the Lady Vol track & field program since the fall of 2020 and competes in the horizontal jumps. She served as a member of the 2021-22 VOLeaders Academy cohort that traveled to Rwanda for the program's annual cultural immersion service trip in July of 2021. On the track, Vickers has contributed scoring performances at the SEC Indoor Championships in each of the past two seasons, placing seventh in the long jump in 2023 and seventh in the triple jump in 2022.
A rising redshirt senior, Key has started 93 of 99 career games at center for Tennessee, shooting 59.4 percent from the field and averaging 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. She holds UT records for most blocks in a season (119), highest block average in a season (3.500), most blocks in a career (277) and highest block average in a career (3.08). She also stands first for most triple-doubles in a career (2) at UT and is tied for the most in a season with one each as a sophomore and junior. The 2021-22 All-SEC recipient and two-time SEC All-Defensive Team honoree is a three-time SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council and SAAC Representative. Additionally, she is a 2020-21 product of UT's VOLeaders Academy and a member of the 2021-22 SEC Community Service Team.
Mashack is a rising junior guard who—in addition to serving on the SEC Men's Basketball Leadership Council—was also enrolled in UT's prestigious VOLeaders Academy this year and was recently selected as the SEC's representative on the NCAA Men's Basketball Oversight Committee's Student-Athlete Engagement Group. A 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District honoree, Mashack made 13 starts last season—including all three of Tennessee's NCAA Tournament games—and earned a reputation as one of the SEC's best perimeter defenders.
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During the two-day event, the Council will hear presentations from Blair Bloomston of Game On Nation and Will Baggett of Emergent Executives. They will engage the student-athletes on the topics of mental health and personal and professional development. The agenda also includes conversations with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and SEC Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Katie O'Neal.
Â
The SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council provides an opportunity for SEC student-athletes to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff. Leadership Councils for football and men's and women's basketball, along with SAAC, provide a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness and playing rules.
Players Mentioned
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