Bucknell University Athletics
Tania Varela Wins Senior Athletic Award at Bucknell
5/4/2010 8:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 4, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior Tania Varela (Quito, Ecuador/Alliance Academy), a team captain on the tennis team, received a special award at the University's annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Bison Club and held in Terrace Room on Tuesday, May 4.
Varela won the Bradley N. Tufts Award, presented to senior athletes "in recognition of exceptional athletic achievement and contribution to Bucknell athletics". Varela shared the award with Austin Winter of the lacrosse team, who was the male selection.
A native of Quito, Ecuador, Varela quickly established herself as one of the top players in Bucknell history, earning Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Patriot League honors as a freshman. While leading the Bison to their sixth consecutive appearance in the Patriot League Championship this season, Varela became the only player in Bucknell tennis history to be named to the first team all four years. She also became just the second Bison in program history to be voted the league's Player of the Year.
Although she missed half of her junior season while studying abroad in France, Varela holds the school record for victories (41-11) and winning percentage (.788) at the No. 1 singles position. She is also third in career doubles wins (73-30), fourth in career singles wins (75-25) and third in combined wins (148-55). Each of those totals were helped by setting program records for longest singles winning streak at 19 matches and longest doubles winning streak at 18 matches.
Bucknell is a highly-selective, privately endowed liberal arts institution with an enrollment of 3,583 undergraduate students. Bucknell competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Patriot League and has full membership along with American, Army, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy. Bucknell has won the Presidents' Cup, signifying the Patriot League's all-sports champion, in 15 of 19 years, including 11 of the last 12.
Bucknell annually ranks among the national leaders in graduation rate and is fifth in Division I in the total number of CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, with 118 national Academic All-Americans since 1970.
