Zinko Earns Spirit of Service Award
6/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
by Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu)
Rice tennis player Solomiya Zinko has been named Rice's Conference USA Spirit of Service Award winner for spring sports, the league office announced on Wednesday. The award recognizes the community service efforts and all-around success of student-athletes.
The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize the community service efforts of the league's student-athletes, based upon significant community service, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport. The Spirit of Service award is presented three times throughout the season, with today's honorees representing Conference USA's spring sports: baseball, men's and women's golf, softball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's outdoor track and field.
Zinko has been a key contributor to each of the Owls three consecutive C-USA Women's Tennis championships and delivered the clinching point in the 2015 title match vs. Marshall. Off the court, the junior from Toronto, Canada has been a tireless presence in a number of community and student activities and will serve as the president of the Rice SAAC chapter during her senior year.
"Solo is an excellent ambassador for Rice University and our women's tennis program," Rice head women's tennis coach Elizabeth Schmidt said. "Through her campus involvement, Solo has taken the time to have a positive impact in the lives of others in the community while also continuing to contribute to the success of our team with both her leadership and play. It's great to see the conference honor Solo for all she does and we are proud of her for this accomplishment."
In addition to a competitive schedule that includes a full slate of fall tournaments and a rigorous spring schedule for a team ranked in the national Top 30 and maintaining a 3.66 GPA in Kinesiology, Zinko served as the Vice President for the Rice chapter of SAAC. She helped coordinate the Owls's efforts in the annual Sack Hunger competition and also served as a volunteer at Texas Children's Hospital. She is a Vice President of Millenify, a campus organization that works with high school and college students to provide mentorship and leadership development to enhance social ventures to solve problems within the community.
Zinko earned second team All C-USA honors in doubles and third team honors in singles this past year while also being named to her third consecutive C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and as a Rice University Honor Athlete.
She joins soccer player Gabriela Iribarne (fall sports) and basketball player Seth Gearhart (winter sports) and the Owls' honorees for the 2014-15 school year.
2014-15 SPRING C-USA SPIRIT OF SERVICE HONOREES:
Erin Crissman, Charlotte, Women's Track & Field
Julius Gaines, FIU, Baseball
Bianca Biglione, Florida Atlantic, Women's Tennis
Kristen Miles, Louisiana Tech, Softball
Korakot Simsiriwong, Marshall, Women's Golf
Ronnie Jebavy, Middle Tennessee, Baseball
Madison Thompson, North Texas, Softball
Lauren Wright, Old Dominion, Women's Rowing
Solomiya Zinko, Rice, Women's Tennis
Danielle Block, Southern Miss, Softball
Catherine Ragon, UAB, Women's Tennis
Monica Lopez, UTEP, Women's Track & Field
Stephanie Wangui, UTSA, Women's Track & Field
Brandon Beckham, WKU, Men's Golf
Players Mentioned
