Division III Week Profile - Lindsay Nash

The NCAA celebrates the second annual Division III Week on April 8-14. In honor of the event, SimpsonAthletics.com will take a close look at five individuals who personify what it means to be a Division III student-athlete.

Share your Division III story by using the #WhyD3 hashtag on Twitter.

Today, we take a close look at the career of senior tennis player, Lindsay Nash. Nash is a four-year letterwinner in tennis and is one of the program's winningest individuals. Her 53 career singles wins is good for third all-time. She won an Iowa Conference Championship at Flight C Singles in 2010 and placed third in Flight B in 2012. To say she has been involved in the campus and surrounding community throughout her time at Simpson is an understatement. She has been involved with a number of different groups, including: student government (serving as the senior class president in 2012-13), Wesley Service Scholar volunteer program, Campus Activities Board, Community Advising program, and she is a student ambassador, just to name a few.

Bio Blast

Name - Lindsay Nash
Sport - Tennis
Major/Minor - Exercise Science, Management/Human Resources
Athletic Honors - IIAC Flight C Singles Champion (2010), IIAC Flight B Singles 3rd Place (2012)
Academic Honors - 3-time Academic All-Conference
Off the Court - Student Government, Wesley Service Scholar, Student Ambassador, Undergraduate Assistant, Community Adviser, Breast Cancer Awareness representative, Campus Activities Board member
Internships - Meredith Corp (health and fitness), Wellmark (health and fitness), Simpson (health promotions)

Why Division III and why Simpson?

I knew that I wanted to be at a small college and I chose to play tennis at Simpson because I really enjoyed the coach and the girls that were currently on the team. I knew that I wanted to continue to be an athlete but I knew I also wanted to be very involved in college so I chose to play tennis as it was a newly acquired love and it wouldn't require as much time as my other options. I decided that I really enjoyed the location of Simpson as it was so close to Des Moines and I knew there were so many opportunities close by. As soon as I walked on to Simpsons campus I knew that I  was comfortable here and would get along with all of the people here at that it would be a great fit for me. 

What opportunities have you had as a Division III student-athlete that have made your experience special?

The opportunities that I have had at a Division III school have all been very special. I have been able to play with some of the same girls for four years and they became my best friends and roommates. I have also been able to acquire many great relationships with my professors that I know I will continue for years to come. I have made special ties to my coaching staff, teammates, and my professors that I know I would have never had anywhere else. I have had many opportunities for internships while still being a student-athlete and I was able to train our tennis team to get experience in training a team.  

What was your favorite part about being a Division III student-athlete?

We got to go to Florida for Spring Break trips my sophomore and senior years and we got to play some really great teams and spend some special times with our teammates in Florida. 

I have so many great memories from our team as they were such a fun loving team that was always there for me whether it related to tennis or not.

What does being a Division III student-athlete mean to you?

In my mind, to be a Division III student-athlete is to succeed on the court/field and in the classroom. We all know that we have a goal in the classroom to be the best that we can be and that it is our first priority. As an athlete, we are striving to be the best athlete we can be by pushing our teammates and taking all of the advice from our coach as possible to be the best athlete we have set out to become.

At a Division III school we can be the best we can be at both of these categories and still be involved in many other activities, which makes our experience shine and stand out above the rest.