Gasner adds SWA to title for MSUB athletics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Thursday, April 6, 2017 Gasner adds SWA to title for MSUB athletics

Rebekah Gasner, MSUB’s director of compliance, is designated the athletic department’s senior woman administrator.

MSUB SPORTS – Rebekah Gasner, the Montana State University Billings director of compliance for the athletic department, has been designated the senior woman administrator in an announcement by Yellowjacket Athletics on Wednesday.

“We are proud to designate Bekah as our SWA moving forward, a title she has earned through her dedication to our department over the last decade dating back to her time as a Yellowjacket student-athlete,” said MSUB director of athletics Krista Montague. “Bekah is well connected to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and faculty through her role as our compliance director, and she will be an excellent representative of our department as our senior woman administrator.”

The senior woman administrator (SWA) is the highest ranking female in each NCAA athletic department or member conference. The designation of SWA is intended to encourage and promote the involvement of female administrators in

meaningful ways in the decision-making process in intercollegiate athletics. Montague has held the SWA title, a position required by the NCAA for each member school and conference, for the past 12 years.

“I am very honored to be designated the senior woman administrator,” Gasner said. “It is a great opportunity to grow professionally within the department, and I am thankful that Krista and the rest of the athletics staff are willing to entrust me in this role. I look forward to taking on more responsibilities as this position develops.”

Gasner was named compliance director on May 23, 2016, after spending the previous year as MSUB’s interim head softball coach. She is a 2009 graduate of MSUB and an alumna of the softball team, which she coached as an assistant from the time she graduated until her head coaching appointment a year ago.

The Eagle, Idaho native also spent time as MSUB’s compliance coordinator before being promoted to the title of director last year. Gasner completed her master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in sport and exercise leadership in 2015.

After finishing her career at MSUB among the top-five in career earned run average, strikeouts, innings pitched, and shutouts, Gasner played professionally for the Amsterdam Pirates in the Netherlands. She also spent time as an assistant coach at Billings Senior High School, before assuming her position as MSUB assistant coach.

For more information about the SWA position, visit the NCAA online here.

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