STUNNING Classroom Success UNLV TENNIS NETS RECORD-BREAKING ACADEMIC YEAR The UNLV’s men’s and women’s squads again earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association Academic All-America status, which capped off another recordbreaking year in the classroom by the Rebel netters. The ITA team award is open to any program that has a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or above. Head Coach Owen Hambrook’s men’s team earned the honor for the seventh straight year while Head Coach Kevin Cory’s women’s squad has earned the ITA team award eight times in the last nine years. Both programs tied or broke their own records for most Academic All-Mountain West Conference honorees in 2010. The Rebels boasted a leagueleading six members while the Lady Rebels matched their previous high with six, which tied for the league lead. Two of UNLV’s contingent made their fourth career appearance on the academic list (Luca Barlocchi and Alisa Razina) while four made it three appearances (senior Kristina Nedeltcheva and juniors Adrienn Hidvegi and Anna Maskaljun along with Rebel senior Matthew Kunkel). To be eligible for selection, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and be a starter or significant contributor. Also earning ITA Scholar-Athlete status were Rebels Barlocchi, Mehdi Bouras, Johannes Markel and Bernard Schoeman; and Lady Rebels Ella Bourchier, Maskaljun and Nedeltcheva. Honorees must be letterwinners with at least 3.5 GPAs. Earning the additional distinction of a MWC Scholar-Athlete were Barlocchi and Bouras for the men’s team and Maskaljun and Razina for the women’s program. Also, Barlocchi earned a spot on the 2010 CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII First Team.
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Vallin Earns National Heldman Award Former Lady Rebel great Marianne Vallin stands as her alma mater’s only three-time AllAmerican in tennis. However, she also brought her school its most prestigious academic award in 1997 when she traveled to Dallas to accept the Gladys Heldman Award. The honor is annually awarded to the senior tennis player who best balanced athletics and education. “She is the best example I have come across of what a student-athlete should be,” then-UNLV head coach Ola Malmqvist said. “There is no doubt that she is the best women’s player ever at UNLV, but she also brought a lot of positives to her university as a whole.”
Bouras, Massaro Named Scholar-Athlete of the Year The Rebels have seen two players named UNLV Most Outstanding Male Scholar-Athlete in the last half decade. In 2009, Mehdi Bouras (Paris, France) won the award at the annual Scholar-Athlete Honors Luncheon after posting a 3.93 grade point average while majoring in management. Senior Romain Massaro, also of Paris, was named the 2006 honoree after becoming a four-time Academic O All-MWC and ITA Scholar-Athlete MASSAR honoree while holding a 3.87 grade point average in communications. The award goes annually to the male studentBOUR a t h l e t e w i t h t h e h i g h e s t c u m u l a t i v e G PA t h a t AS has completed at least one academic year at UNLV.
Ever since its first classroom opened in 1957, UNLV has been on the rise in the world of higher education. From dusty lots with only a few buildings to a lush, ever-expanding setting, the campus has continued to respond to the demands stemming from an increasing enrollment. Formerly named as one of 34 National Flagship Universities in the 101 of the Best Values in American Colleges and Universities, UNLV is rapidly gaining attention across the country for its academic success. Schools on the list, which included institutions such as UCLA, Duke, Michigan, Penn State and Notre Dame, were chosen for having the great resources, tremendous energy and attractive costs needed to excel in higher education well into the 21st century. The University boasts nationally competitive business programs and a school of hotel administration that attracts students from around the globe. With more than 246 degree programs in 15 schools and colleges, including the William S. Boyd School of Law, UNLV offers the student-athlete an array of educational opportunities. UNLV maintains an academic support system for its student-athletes that is designed to ensure success on and off the fields of play. Academic advisors work with the 17 men’s and women’s sports ensuring student-athletes receive personalized care regarding their progress in education. Advisors work with their sport-specific student-athletes in scheduling, tutoring, degree progress and NCAA eligibility. Providing even greater challenges, students who maintain a 3.5 grade point average can apply for entrance into UNLV’s honors program.