April 2020 TIB Newsletter

                 Our Work Goes On

     Even with the cancellation of college sports Spring season in 2020, we continue to work with athletes that want to start school in September 2020. As of this writing, the SAT tests have been cancelled in Israel and around the world but colleges are being more flexible with their admissions requirements.  College coaches are responding to our athletes and we all hope schools start up again in the Fall.  While nobody knows exactly how the next few months will look, it is business as usual for TIB.

    Without  any current events to write about at this crazy time, I would like to nominate the top 10 Israeli college athletes of all-time, based on their athletic accomplishments. Let me know if you think I missed anybody.  

Tzipi Obziler, Old Dominion University

In 1995, Tzipi Obziler became the first and is still the only Israeli men's or women's tennis player to win a major college national championship.  She won 12 matches over 9 days to take the Women's Clay Court Championships, one of college tennis' four major tournaments at the time.  She accomplished this even though Israel did not have any clay courts for her to practice on while she was growing up.  Tzipi later played many years on the WTA tour and competed for Israel at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Doron Shefer, University of Connecticut

Doron Sheffer was a Guard for the Huskies basketball team from 1993 – 1996. He is the only player from UConn to score 1,000 points and add over 500 assists in three varsity seasons and he was Big East Conference Rookie of the Year in 1993-94. Doron, along with fellow Israeli Nadav Henefeld, is a member of the UConn Basketball All Century Team.

       Gal Nevo, Georgia Tech University

Gal Nevo's impressive swimming career at Georgia Tech included two ACC Swimmer of the Year awards, two All-American awards, National runner-up finishes in the 400IM in 2009 and 2010, as well as being named to the 2009-10 the ACC Academic Honor Roll.  Gal competed for Israel in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and still holds 4 records in the Georgia Tech record books.

Laetitia Beck, Duke University

A two-time All-America as a junior and senior ... became just the 11th Duke golfer to earn All-ACC accolades in each of her four years ... totaled 45 rounds of even or under par over her career, which ranks tied fifth on Duke’s career record charts ... her 73.58 stroke average ranks as the 10th best in school history for a career ... played in 125 career rounds to rank 10th at Duke ... the first native of Israel to compete in an LPGA event when she played in the 2011 CN Canadian Open and finished tied for 70th.  Laetitia continues to play on the LPGA circuit.