Spotlight: Bram ten Berge

A prominent NBA coach with five championships on his resume' once remarked, "There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either IN or you're OUT. There is no such thing as life in-between." Junior tennis player Bram ten Berge subscribes to the first option in everything he does.

A native of Maarssen, the Netherlands, ten Berge's commitment to excellence on the court is evident in the role he has played in the Rebels' success the past two years.

ten Berge gained attention as a freshman in 2005 when he rallied to win his match against Georgia and clinch the team's fourth NCAA Final Four appearance.

With his attitude and hard work, more would be expected of ten Berge in 2006, and he delivered. He earned All-SEC honors while helping lead the Rebels to their fifth consecutive SEC Western Division Championship and the NCAA "Sweet Sixteen." He was the clinching match against Florida State that sent Ole Miss to the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth time in five years.

Perhaps ten Berge's greatest commitment is in the classroom, where he holds a 4.0 grade point average in the Classics. He was named the 2006 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's tennis, and is a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete.

In addition, ten Berge received the Way, Leavell, Jackson Prize for Excellence in the Classics for the 2006-07 year. He received a $500 scholarship per semester. ten Berge also participated, with his second year Greek class, in a National Greek Examination this past spring and earned a perfect score and the highest score at the University of Mississippi.

For excellence in both tennis and academics, ten Berge is this week's Allstate Insurance Student-Athlete of the Week.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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