Tennis standout Pandzic ruled ineligible

Jelena Pandzic, who finished as the runner-up in the NCAA singles' championship last season, will not return to competition in 2005

Staff Report
The Collegian

Fresno State women’s tennis player Jelena Pandzic has been ruled athletically ineligible by the university, ending her tennis career with the Bulldogs.

Pandzic, a sophomore from Split, Croatia, played in a German league tennis match this summer, which was later deemed in violation of her amateur status. The athletic department was unsure during the fall semester if Pandzic was still eligible, so she was kept out of competition.

During her freshman year last season, Pandzic went 29-2 and fell in the finals of the NCAA tournament to Stanford’s Amber Liu

“It's unfortunate this had to happen to Jelena, who is obviously a very gifted tennis player," athletic director Scott Johnson said in a news release. “It is paramount to the integrity of the university that we follow NCAA rules and guidelines, and I believe we do a great job in educating our student-athletes of those rules. It's too bad that Jelena's career had to end after one year, but after working closely with the NCAA in this matter, it was the best course of action.”