USW tennis player Marek Ondruj named to NAIA's 2011 Men's Tennis All-Americans

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Marek Ondruj

HOBBS, NM (06/07/2011)(readMedia)-- As an athlete, tennis isn't Marek Ondruj's first choice, but it's a choice which has opened doors to success both on the court and off.

Biology major Ondruj is University of the Southwest's first tennis player to be named to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes' (NAIA) 2011 Men's Tennis All-Americans.

Ondruj of Trebic in the Czech Republic was selected for honorable mention and is among 52 athletes from across the United States chosen for this honor, according to USW Tennis Coach Paul Baker. Ondruj's record was 26-0 in singles and 24-2 in doubles competition.

"Marek leads by example," said Baker. "There isn't anything he can't do. He has an unbelievable work ethic."

Ondruj was named to the Provost's list for the Spring 2011 semester and this fall he will serve as a resident assistant in the men's dormitory. He's also involved in USW's Students in Free Enterprise group and can usually be seen helping plan and set up for university-sponsored activities. Ondruj is fluent in four languages: his native Czech, Slovak, Russian and English.

Entering his junior year this fall semester, Ondruj completed his first year as a transfer student at USW. His family lives in the Czech Republic and includes: his mother, Olga, a pharmacist; father, Pavel, a nuclear engineer; and two siblings-a sister Jana, and fraternal twin, Petr.

Ondruj began playing tennis at age 7, but his favorite sport was hockey. But as he developed life and career plans, Ondruj realized he had more options available by continuing with tennis.

"Inside of me, I knew I wanted to do more," said Ondruj. "In Czech you have to choose between studies and athletics."

In the Czech Republic, individuals must choose between two tracks, said Ondruj. If they're athletes, they can continue to compete, but they aren't likely to go on and get their education. And if they continue their education through college, then individuals give up athletics to focus solely on studies. Ondruj wanted to do both, so he decided to pursue his education in the United States.

He initially began his studies at a different university and after two years, took a year off and returned home to further consider his options. Fellow teammate Teddy Yelley had since transferred to USW and the two kept up their friendship through Facebook. Coach Baker asked Yelley if he thought Ondruj would consider playing tennis at USW. It took Baker the better part of a year to convince Ondruj that he would have a different, more family-oriented experience at USW.

In addition to the cultural differences between the two countries, Ondruj has learned to adjust his play from the typical Czech clay-based courts to a hard based court. A family-like atmosphere is the condition under which Ondruj wants to compete for USW.

"Tennis here is great because you can have a close relationship between players and the coach. It's all work in other places," Ondruj said. "This is like family and I found a place where I can be part of a family."