BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Valdosta State junior women's basketball standout Erin Whalen and baseball sophomore Boomer Dunn attended the annual Gulf South Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Summit last month in Birmingham, Ala.
 
"Going to Birmingham with SAAC was an amazing opportunity," Whalen said.  "It showed me how important it is for us as student-athletes to use our voice, both at the conference and national levels."
 
Whalen, a native of Cumming, Ga., had an outstanding sophomore campaign for the Lady Blazers in 2024-25 as she finished second on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game and led the team averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.  Whalen earned second team All-Gulf South Conference honors.  Whalen leads the GSC in total rebounds with 251, while she is second in the league in rebounds per game (8.7) and third in steals (58).  She earned GSC Player of the Week honors this season and had 18 games in double figures with nine double-doubles to lead the team.  Whalen scored a career-high 24 points against Georgia Southwestern (11/21) and had a career-high 16 rebounds against Auburn Montgomery (2/27).  She has earned GSC Academic Honor Roll honors twice.  Whalen was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
 
Dunn, a native of Smyrna, Ga., is a redshirt-freshman pitcher for the Blazers in 2025-26.  Dunn said after the event, "The GSC SAAC Retreat was a great experience and gave me numerous strategies to bring back to Valdosta to benefit our athletic program. I enjoyed discussing the challenges athletes face finding balance between competition, academics and college life.  Serving the local food bank in Birmingham also showed me the significance of community service and giving back.  I enjoyed the time I spent with the other student-athletes and I look forward to future meetings.  I'm excited to share what I learned with my teammates and classmates at VSU."