Colorado University Athletics
Bundalo Named ITA?s Region VII Player to Watch Winner
BOULDER ? University of Colorado men’s tennis head coach Sam Winterbotham has announced his end of the season award winners honoring four student-athletes that will all return next season for the Buffaloes. In addition to Coach Winterbotham’s awards, senior-to-be Marko Bundalo was one of eight regional winners named by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as its Player to Watch at the 2005 ITA Regional Award Dinner, May 25 in College Station, Texas.
Bundalo was named the Mountain Region recipient.
The Player to Watch winner is awarded to the player who has an outstanding season and is expected to perform at a high level the rest of his career. This award’s criteria also includes a player’s sportsmanship and character.
Bundalo was an All-Big 12 singles selection this spring, won the most matches on the team (20), and ended the season as the No. 99 ITA singles player (out of 125). He was also awarded CU’s Complete Student-Athlete recipient at the season-ending banquet earlier this month.
“Marko, had an outstanding finish to the year winning five of his last six opponents, including four ranked players at the time. He will no doubt be ranked in the top-75 at the start of next year and has improved his game tremendously,” said Winterbotham. “I am extremely proud of him as he is the complete student-athlete playing at such a high level while excelling in the classroom on his way to a degree in electronic-engineering.”
Three other team awards were also handed out as Chad Tsuda was named the Lee and Char Snyder Most Valuable Player; Jan Zelezny was named the Tim Kullick academic excellence award winner; and Peter Bjork, the Most Improved Player Award.
“Chad had a M.V.P. year winning when we needed him most,” added Winterbotham. “His commitment to this team was great and he is going to have an even greater senior year.”
Tsuda was a two-time CU Athlete of the Week winner (Mar. 14-20, Mar. 28-Apr. 3) and won the most spring matches with 12, including 10 at the No. 6 singles slot.
“Jan really came into his own at the end of the season. I feel he really understands what college tennis all about now and the future, like Jan in the classroom, is very bright,” said Winterbotham. “Jan’s G.P.A. is almost as high as it can be (4.0), and it seems there will be no slowing down for the “professor.””
Zelezny defeated the ITA’s No. 36 and No. 52 players this spring and won 12 matches during his initial season with the Buffs, while Bjork defeated the ITA’s No. 45 and No. 96 players, saw the winners’ circle 10 times this spring and 14 overall.
“Peter, spent a great deal of time in the fall improving his technique and it paid off in the spring where he had the shots in his arsenal to compete at a very high level,” Winterbotham said.
The Buffaloes finished the spring 9-15 against a very competitive spring schedule that saw 19 ranked opponents on their slate. CU defeated five ranked schools and finished the season with a No. 59 nationally ranking out of 75 schools in the final ITA poll.