Zlatanovic Named 2024 MVC Postgraduate Scholarship Winner

ST. LOUIS – Illinois State tennis standout Tijana Zlatanovic was one of four Missouri Valley Conference student-athletes who have been named 2024 MVC postgraduate scholarship winners by the conference office. She joins Lily DeSpain of Missouri State (women's swimming & diving), Avery Nowak of Belmont (women's soccer) and John Stillman of Bradley as this year's recipients.

The MVC Faculty Athletics Representatives Committee voted to award postgraduate scholarships to the four student-athletes due to their exemplary academic and athletic performances.  Each will receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship from the Conference.

Zlatanovic will graduate from Illinois State in August and currently holds a 3.82 cumulative grade point average while majoring in exercise science-health and human performance. She intends to attend graduate school at ISU while pursuing a master's degree in psychology of sport and physical activity.  

A 2023-24 team captain, Zlatanovic served as a member of ISU's and the MVC's Student-Athlete Advisory Council in 2022-23. The Salzburg, Austria, native was the league's 2020-21 Freshman and Singles Player of the Year, earned MVC All-Select honors in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and was a three-time All-MVC choice at No. 1 doubles with partner Tara Damnjanovic.  A two-time ITA Scholar Athlete and three-time MVC scholar-athlete first-team selection, Zlatanovic recorded a career mark of 77-49 in singles competition and a 78-40 mark in doubles while helping the Redbirds to three league championships.

To be eligible for consideration, recipients must have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.40, participated with distinction in a Missouri Valley Conference championship sport for at least two seasons at the nominating institution and must graduate from their institutions within 18 months following selection at the spring meetings of the Faculty Athletics Representative Committee. Also, the recipients must be accepted for postgraduate studies at an institution of higher learning at the time of receipt of the scholarship and must have completed eligibility for participation in intercollegiate athletics in the academic year in which nominated.

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