Each year, deserving Illinois State men's tennis student-athletes are chosen as recipients for prestigious endowed scholarships at Illinois State University, and this year two outstanding Redbirds were selected for these honors by ISU head men's tennis coach Mark Klysner.
The 2018-19 winners of the two endowed scholarships dedicated to men's tennis included senior Igor Kolaric and junior Jorge Barta. Each reflect the standards set forth by those who created the endowments, and each truly represent what it means to be a Redbird men's tennis student-athlete.
Kolaric received the Benoni Green Endowed Scholarship which was established in 1998. It was funded by friends of the star Redbird tennis player. Green competed at Illinois State prior to World War II and his scholarship was presented for the first time in 1999.
"Igor has been a tremendous addition to our team and having been here for only two years, he accomplished so much including a Conference Player of the Year title," Coach Klysner said. "He was a fantastic role model for his teammates both on and off the court and in the classroom."
Barta was awarded with the Jim Whitman Tennis Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 2014 from gifts made in honor of Jim Whitman to benefit a men's tennis student-athlete. Jim was a former Illinois State men's tennis player and coach who received All-Conference accolades all four years as a player at Illinois State from 1963-67 and coached from 1972-1986. As a player Jim was honored as MVP twice and won three conference singles titles. He was inducted to the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame in 1981.
"Jorge has been a great player thus far and I expect will have an amazing senior season," Klysner said. "He shows so many leadership qualities, and in one year's time has already garnered so much respect from his teammates."
These endowed scholarships are among the 30 available to Illinois State student-athletes that are funded by private donors. For more information about establishing or contributing to an endowed scholarship, please call the Weisbecker Scholarship Fund office at (309) 438-3803. To read about each current endowment in more detail, visit the WSF website at www.weisbeckerscholarshipfund.com.
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