ATLANTA -- Assistant men’s soccer coach Bryan Vitagliano (at right), men’s lacrosse student-athlete Andrew Unthank, and women’s rowing student-athlete Meredith Rubin are representing the University of Delaware athletics department at the 2009 NCAA Division I Regional Leadership Conference being held this weekend.

The event, one of five regional events being held across the country, began Friday and runs through Sunday. Representatives from schools in the Colonial Athletic Association, Atlantic 10 Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Big South Conference, Atlantic Sun Conference, Southwestern Athletic Conference, Southeastern Conference, Southern Conference, and Ohio Valley Conference will take part in the three-day event.

NCAA student-athletes, coaches and administrators will have the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and learn how to positively impact their campus, conference and communities in the future.

Participants will also gain a greater understanding of the NCAA, the Division I governance and legislation process, and the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The Regional Leadership Conference provides numerous educational and critical issues sessions which impact the development and growth of student-athletes at the individual, campus, conference and national levels. Using the knowledge gained at the conference, participants will set out to create positive and lasting change throughout the NCAA structure, their communities and the world.

A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Vitagliano is currently in his third season as the top assistant to head coach Ian Hennessy. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Maryland where he led the team to two NCAA semifinal appearances and a No. 1 national ranking. He later served as an assistant coach for both the Terrapin men’s and women’s programs.

Unthank, a junior attackman and political science major from Wilmington, Del. (Concord High School), is a two-year letterwinner for the UD men’s lacrosse squad for head coach Bob Shillinglaw. He played in 12 games as a backup in 2009 and scored a goal and dished out five assists. He also scored two goals in 2007 when he helped lead the Blue Hens to the NCAA Final Four.

Rubin, a junior leadership major from McLean, Va. (Langley HS), will serve as co-captain for the Blue Hens this spring under head coach Laura Slice. She earned the UD Alumni Association Team Most Valuable Player award for her efforts last year and was also selected to the CRCA National Scholar-Athlete squad for her success both in and out of the classroom.

A two-time letterwinner for the Blue Hens, Rubin was a member of the Varsity Eights boat during the previous two seasons. She also helped the crew finish second during the Saint Joseph's meet and the Kerr Cup last year.