Fresno State Athletics
Two Bulldogs Join Academic Elite
12/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Dec. 8, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - Successfully balancing athletics and academics is an accomplishment for any student-athlete. Two members of the Fresno State men's tennis team have shown they are able to excel on the court, while maintaining academics that have put them at the top of the class.
Bulldog juniors, Mirko Zapletal and Tejesvi Veerepalli, have been selected to join the Craig School of Business Honors Program, which features the top 10 out of roughly 3,000 students from the Craig School of Business.
In order to receive the academic honor Zapletal and Veerepalli were required to maintain a 3.5 GPA through the fall semester of their junior year. They then applied for the honors program, and were two of just 20 students to receive an interview. The two Bulldogs will join eight other students who were selected after the interview process in the program beginning in the spring semester.
"The program will be very intense, which means Mirko and I will have to step it up more than we already do," said Veerepalli. "The two reasons we're here are tennis and academics; it is exciting and an honor to be a student-athlete and involved in the honors program."
Zapletal and Veeraplli will do one-on-one research with a business professor on a specific topic related to issues in the world today. After three semesters, they will each complete their studies in the program by writing a thesis before receiving a prestigious degree.
Both Zapletal and Veerepalli will see their workload increase once the spring semester rolls around with meetings every Thursday for three hours, research with their assigned professor, a full-time academic schedule, and a grueling spring tennis season. Head coach Jay Udwadia has prepared his Bulldogs to achieve greatness and knows Zapletal and Veerepalli will continue to shine on and off the court.
"It's nice to see two of our players recognized with such a prestigious honor," Udwadia said. "Both Mirko and Tejesvi know the importance of getting a good education, and have already shown they will stand out in the program."
"Join the State - Fresno State!" The `Dogs will begin the spring season at home against Cal Poly on January 25. For news and results visit GoBulldogs.com.
Players Mentioned
