15 May 2024 Harding senior receives coveted Ashe Award

Posted at 5:20 PMh in Sports by

SEARCY – Teodor Zlatar, a senior at Harding University, was honored with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award on Wednesday. Established in 1982, the Ashe Award recognizes male and female student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional sportsmanship and leadership qualities, as well as notable scholastic, extracurricular, and tennis achievements, reflecting the legacy of tennis legend and humanitarian Arthur Ashe Jr.

Hailing from Ludbreg, Croatia, Zlatar amassed an impressive 32-16 overall singles record and a 25-18 doubles record during his two seasons at Harding, following his transfer from Oakland City University. Academically, Zlatar is pursuing a major in computer science and holds an outstanding GPA of 3.99.

Zlatar holds the national ranking of No. 3 in NCAA Division II doubles, alongside his teammate Cas de Ruiter, and is also ranked 40th nationally in singles.

Throughout his tenure at Harding, Zlatar achieved significant milestones. He participated in the ITA Cup, the individual national championship for Division II tennis, in both singles and doubles events in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Notably, he reached the individual semifinals in singles and the team finals in doubles during the following season.

Zlatar’s recognition as the recipient of the Ashe Award holds special significance for Harding University, as he becomes the first male athlete from the institution to receive this honor during its NCAA era, which began in 1997. Harding’s head coach, David Redding, was awarded the NAIA national Ashe Award in 1983.