ALISO VIEJO, Calif. — The GSAC has announced the addition of three interns for the 2026-27 academic year. Tommy Armendariz, Cienna Irwin, and Zach Daniels will join the conference office and assist with communications, championships, marketing, social media, and other conference initiatives throughout the year.
"We're excited to welcome Tommy, Cienna, and Zach to the GSAC team," said GSAC Assistant Commissioner Josh Fisher. "Each brings a unique background and valuable experience in collegiate athletics. Their passion for the industry, combined with their willingness to learn and contribute, will make them tremendous assets to the conference while providing them with meaningful hands-on experience."
Tommy Armendariz
A native of Bakersfield, California, Armendariz recently earned his Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management from Hope International University.
Armendariz has served as the Assistant Sports Information Director at Hope International, gaining experience in athletic communications, game operations, and media relations. As a student-athlete, he was a member of Hope International's 2024 NAIA Baseball National Championship team.
Following graduation, Armendariz hopes to pursue a career as a marketing and social media manager for a professional sports organization.
Cienna Irwin
Irwin, from Norco, California, is pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Sports Business at Concordia University Irvine while serving as a Graduate Assistant for CUI Athletics.
In her graduate assistant role, she supports game-day operations, facility and event logistics, coordinates with teams and officials, and assists with NCAA and institutional compliance. She also serves as an Event & Tournament Coordinator for the Los Angeles Mad Drops, where she oversees Minor League Pickleball tournaments, venue operations, sponsor activations, and event execution.
A former three-year captain of the Soka University women's soccer team, Irwin has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership and student-athlete development. She served as Vice Chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, represented the California Pacific Conference through the National Association of Student Athletes, and was Soka Athletics' inaugural Junior Women Leader. She also created the department's Career Development Program, which launched during the 2025-26 academic year to provide student-athletes with professional development resources, mentorship, and career readiness opportunities.
Irwin's academic work has focused on leadership within collegiate athletics, including research examining the career pathways of women serving as athletics directors. She aspires to build a career in college athletics administration with an emphasis on sports operations, event management, and student-athlete development.
Zach Daniels
Daniels is from Aliso Viejo, California, and is a student at Washington State University, where he is pursuing double majors in Political Science and Criminal Justice while also completing a minor in Sports Management.
He has gained experience as a Washington State Sports Information Intern and has been actively involved in campus leadership through his roles as Vice President of the Washington State Club Soccer program and as a member of the WSU Sports Club Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Daniels also served as an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship statistician during March Madness.
Daniels plans to pursue a career as either an athletic director or a sports agent following graduation.
The three interns will begin their responsibilities with the conference on August 1 and will work alongside the GSAC staff throughout the 2026-27 season, supporting the conference's communications efforts, championship administration, digital media initiatives, and special projects across the conference's 13 championship sports.