SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council officers elected

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Feb. 23, 2023) -- Kentucky's Eli Cox, Florida's Derek Wingo, South Carolina's Hanna Barton and Missouri's Jude Dierker have been elected to serve as officers of the Southeastern Conference Student-Athlete Leadership Councils during recent meetings at the SEC offices.

Cox was elected Chair of the SEC Football Leadership Council by his peers, while Wingo was elected Vice Chair. Barton was elected Chair of the SEC Student-Athlete Advisory Council by her peers, and Dierker will serve as Vice Chair.

Cox is a junior guard on the Kentucky football team and has played in 30 career games with 22 starts. A native of Nicholasville, Ky., he graduated in May 2022 with a degree in integrated strategic communication with a business minor.

Wingo recently concluded his third season as a linebacker on the Florida football team. He has played in 34 games over the last three years. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Wingo is an education sciences major and is a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Barton is a senior on the South Carolina women's swimming and diving team and is pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. The Land O'Lakes, Fla., native has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times.

Dierker is a junior on the Missouri men's swimming and diving team and competed last week in the SEC Championships A native of Erlanger, Ky., he is pursuing a degree in industrial engineering and is a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

The SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Councils provide 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 the Student-Athlete Leadership Council (SAAC), provide a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness and playing rules.

Texas A&M's Henry Coleman III and South Carolina's Laeticia Amihere currently serve as chairs of the Men's and Women's Basketball Leadership Councils, while Alabama's Adam Cottrell and Tennessee's Tamari Key serve as vice chairs of the Basketball Leadership Councils.