NORMAL, Ill. – Each year, deserving Illinois State men's tennis student-athletes are chosen as recipients for prestigious endowed scholarships at Illinois State, and this year three outstanding Redbirds were selected for these honors by ISU head men's tennis coach Mark Klysner and women's head coach Maja Kovacek.
"This is a great honor for Nam, Melker and Ming, as each are a great representation of what these endowments stand for," Klysner said. "Each of them embodies what it means to be a student athlete and have always represented our University and program with class."
"Tijana has been an outstanding student-athlete since her first day on campus," Kovacek said. "She has already made a mark on this program and there are still two years ahead of her. I can't think of a more deserving recipient."
Benoni Green Endowed Scholarship // Nam Pham | Senior | Lenexa, Kansas
Pham led by example all season for the Redbirds at the No. 1 singles spot in 2022, and for his efforts was voted as the 2022 Summit League Men's Tennis Player of the Year. In addition to his Player of the Year honor, Pham also earned a spot on the 12-man All-Summit League Team, after recording a perfect 5-0 record at the top spot of Redbird lineup during conference singles action.Â
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. He was inducted to the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame in 1973.
Herschel O. Brock Endowed Scholarship // Melker Isaksson | Junior | Lidkoping, Sweden
Isaksson was named to the Summit League All-Academic team for the second-straight year in 2022, and after posting a 17-12 singles mark and with a 3-2 finish in Summit League matches. He recorded a 12-14 doubles mark on the year, playing mostly with partner Diego Le Gal Perez, and was named the TicketSmarter Summit League Athlete of the Week on April 12, after picking up a doubles win and the singles win that clinched a match victory over Oral Roberts.
The Herschel O. Brock Endowed Scholarship was established in 2008 by the family of Herschel Brock as a living memorial. He lived in Bloomington for 50 years and was a dedicated community leader and businessman. Throughout his career Herschel maintained close relationships with the Illinois State University men's athletic coaches and was a loyal friend of the Redbirds. The purpose of this scholarship is to supplement the educational expenses for a student in good standing on one of the University's athletic teams: men's basketball; football; men's golf; men's tennis; baseball; men's cross country; or men's track and field.
Payton Leon Helphinstine Endowed Scholarship // Ming-Chieh Chiu | Junior | Pongtung, Taiwan
Payton Leon Helphinstine Endowed Scholarship // Tijana Zlatanovic | Junior | Lenexa, KansasÂ
Chiu was a standout in doubles for the Redbirds in 2022, posting a 9-6 record playing mostly with Nam Pham. He also posted a 2-0 record in singles matches for ISU, which advanced to the Summit League Tournament.
Zlatanovic is a two-time All-MVC selection in singles and helped lead the Redbird to a MVC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2022. The 2021 MVC Player of the Year, Zlatanovic holds a career mark of 9-1 in conference singles matches.
The Payton Leon Helphinstine Men's and Women's Tennis Scholarship was established in September 2020. He graduated in 1957 with a bachelor's in Health Physical Education and a master's degree in Mathematics in 1964. He was a member of the men's tennis team. The scholarship is to benefit Illinois State men and women tennis players.
These endowed scholarships are among 31 available that are funded by private donors who have taken the opportunity to create a lifetime impact to Illinois State student-athletes. If you have interest in learning more about the Forever State Endowment Society, contact the Athletics Department at (309) 438-2752.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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