KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mariana Flores has been named the MIAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Mentor of the Year, the league announced on Friday.
 
The MIAA SAAC Mentor of the Year is awarded to an individual who has had a profound impact on the lives of student-athletes on campus throughout the year or throughout his/her career. MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy will present Flores with the award on Friday during halftime of the Hillcats women's soccer match against Central Oklahoma at Soldier Field.
 
"This is one of my favorite awards I get to present on campus each year," said Racy. "Mentoring is such an important skill to have, and each year MIAA student-athletes select the administrator they judge to be the best mentor on one of our campuses. Congratulations Mariana on receiving this year's award!"
 
After graduating from RSU with a degree in psychology and fitness management, Flores joined the Hillcat Athletics staff as a graduate assistant for student-athlete development and wellness.
 
A former MIAA student-athlete, Flores helped lead the Hillcats women's golf team to the program's first trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship. She was also the individual runner-up at the 2021 MIAA Women's Golf Championship.
 
Flores served as the staff advisor of SAAC for the past two years. She led the charge in getting RSU's SAAC involved in the community, whether it was organizing a day for RSU Athletics, welcoming local elementary schools on their first day of school, participating in a local Food Truck Thursday event, or finding ways to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish organization, among many other community engagement events.
 
Not only did she work to continue building the relationship between Hillcat Athletics and the community of Claremore, she also has put a huge emphasis on student-athletes' mental health. Flores educated RSU student-athletes on the importance of mental health and made herself available to anyone who might have needed to talk. Additionally, she did all of this while working towards her master's degree in community counseling.
 
"Mariana was a role model for all the SAAC members," said 2022-23 SAAC President Raquel Flores. "She continuously worked hard to make sure we were taken care of. Her hard work and dedication made SAAC more united and involved. RSU Athletics would not be what it is now if it was not for everything Mariana did. Her attitude, passion, and determination made an impact on every single one of us, and we know that it will continue allowing her to succeed and change other people's lives."
 
The Hillcats will take on Central Oklahoma on Friday, Sept. 22 in the final non-conference match of the season at 7 p.m.