Printing Concepts Scholar Athlete of the Month

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Mia Zivkovic is gaining recognition at the conference level for her work on and off of the tennis court.

Zivkovic has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Printing Concepts Scholar-Athlete of the Month for April.

The Broadview Heights native sports a 3.96 GPA while studying Biology. Last spring, she earned Academic All-OAC honors. While a junior athletically, Zivkovic is graduating a year early to attend medical school.

Zivkovic has enjoyed a prolific playing career at John Carroll. She earned First Team All-OAC distinction as both a freshman in 2021 and a sophomore in 2022. During the 2021 season, Zivkovic helped to lead the Blue Streaks to OAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, tallying a perfect 8-0 mark at #3 singles and an 8-2 record at #2 doubles. During 2022, she finished 8-6 at the #2 singles spot and rose to the #1 doubles position, going 8-4. Zivkovic earned OAC Athlete of the Week honors on May 3, 2021 and April 4, 2022.

During her junior year, she’s been on a tear as well, with an 10-5 record at the #1 singles spot, including 5-2 in OAC play. She’s also 5-2 in doubles in OAC play thus far. Zivkovic has guided the Blue Streaks to the OAC Tournament Semifinal. She was also named a Carroll News “Streak of the Week” on March 30. 

Zivkovic has very much enjoyed her time as a student-athlete at John Carroll.

“Playing at a D-III school allows you the opportunity to balance academics and tennis really well,” said Zivkovic. “Honestly, tennis has helped me with my time management, because a lot of times, you need to leave early for a match or tournament. You need to get your work done ahead of time.”

Her favorite memories include traveling on spring break with the team, along with playing at the brand-new Short Family Tennis Center.

“I’ll remember the fun times with my team, especially on the new courts,” said Zivkovic. “I have a lot of fond memories on these courts with my team. I’ve had a wonderful time all three years, just fun memories with my team.”

With her time on the court wrapping up, Zivkovic is excited for her professional future. After graduating a year early from John Carroll, Zivkovic will attend medical school. 

“I haven’t chosen a school yet, as I’m waiting to hear back from a few schools. Specialty wise, I’m not sure what I want to go into, I like sports so maybe sports medicine or rehab,” said Zivkovic. “I chose this path for a number of reasons. I really like science, it’s always been my favorite subject, and this is a career that is geared towards science.”

Her family’s ties to the field led to her choosing a path in medicine. 

“My parents are both in the medical field, so hearing stories from their jobs inspired me to take a similar path,” said Zivkovic. “My dad, Dejan, is an anaesthetist, and my mom, Nada, is an optometrist.”

Whatever her specific path in medicine, Zivkovic hopes to make a difference for future student-athletes after enjoying a great experience at John Carroll. 

“Playing tennis at John Carroll has been one of my best experiences at this school. It’s part of the reason I came here and I’m really glad I made this decision,” said Zivkovic. As an athlete, I’ve experienced plenty with sports medicine and rehab, so working with athletes is a goal of mine. Working with a college or professional team would be really cool. That’s something I’m looking forward to in my career.”