McNamara Student-Athlete of the Week: Dino Bilankov

Each week, the McNamara Academic Center for Student-Athletes (MAC) will recognize one University of Minnesota student-athlete for his or her academic achievements. The winner of the McNamara Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending January 25th is Dino Bilankov from the men’s tennis team.

Coach Geoff Young has been impressed with the energy Dino gives to both his academics and to tennis and how it has rubbed off on his teammates.

“Dino is the type of guy where anything that he is involved in, he wants it to be the best. He wants to get the most out of everything that he does, “Young said. “That attitude is contagious for our team.”

Learning Specialist Todd Helmer and Academic Counselor Chris Cords echo Young’s sentiments about Bilankov’s work ethic.

“Dino is a hard-working student whose persistence is amazing,” Helmer said. “I know him to be tenacious in the pursuit of perfection. His consistently high grades in both writing and speech are especially impressive because he is not a native English speaker."

Cords also notes Bilankov’s commitment to excellence in all areas of his life. “Dino is always trying to overachieve. One of my most profound memories of him is proctoring two exams for him on the eve of his first ever competition in the NCAA tournament. He is dedicated to being the best athletically and academically.”

Dino is a sophomore majoring in Communication Studies with plans to pursue graduate studies in Physical Therapy. He is a native of Croatia.