University of Minnesota Athletics
Bilankov and Smith to Attend NCAA Leadership Conference
5/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Two University of Minnesota student-athletes have been selected to represent the university at the National Student-Athlete Leadership Development Conference in Orlando, Fla. later this month.
Dino Bilankov from the Golden Gophers’ men’s tennis team and Tanisha Smith from the university’s women’s basketball team will both take part in the conference, which is conducted by the NCAA. Each institution nominates four student-athletes who they feel are ambassadors of their program regarding academic excellence, athletic excellence, personal and professional achievement and a commitment to service. One student-athlete from each school is chosen, however, Minnesota was granted an additional representative.
Smith will attend the conference from May 25-27, while Bilankov will take part from May 27-29. It will be held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. A total of 700 student-athletes representing all NCAA divisions have been selected to participate.
The conference provides NCAA student-athletes with a forum to openly discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance their leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills. The conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities.
Bilankov, a sophomore from Zagreb, Croatia, played primarily at the No. 4 singles and No. 1 doubles positions for the Gophers and finished with a 22-14 season singles record. He is a kinesiology major at Minnesota.
Smith, a redshirt freshman from Whitby, Ontario, appeared in seven games for the Gophers and earned academic all-Big Ten honors. She also is majoring in kinesiology.
Other Minnesota student-athletes nominated to attend the conference were men’s basketball player Jamal Abu-Shamala and softball player Shannon Stemper.
