Marquette University Athletics
Alumni Spotlight | Ian Kawas | 2002-06
9/3/2020 8:38:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Marquette men's tennis players are scattered across the world and our new Alumni Spotlight feature will allow us to provide personal and professional updates on the student-athletes who represented the University on the court and continue to be ambassadors today.
Ian Kawas | 2002-06 | San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Current Location: Tallahassee, FL (since 2006)
Family: I got married to a Tallahassee native (Ashley Davis, lawyer with the Florida Department of State) back in 2013. Our little girl (Helen) was born in 2015. I've been slowly sneaking tennis equipment into her toy basket for a few years now, hoping to cash in on that when it's time to look for colleges.
Employer/profession: I work as an electrical engineer at Wood PLC, a large engineering design firm. I've been with Wood for 13 years. My work mostly centers around managing, designing and commissioning control systems for solar and wind power plants. I also completed a masters in engineering management from Florida State University in 2010.
Marquette Memories: I remember my time at MU fondly. Eigy, Ricky and I (class of '06) witnessed the wrath of Coach Rodecap first hand. We were an undisciplined bunch when he got there (our sophomore year). Coach Rodecap and the strength and conditioning crew (Rudy Wade, Scott Holsopple and others) did their best to change that pretty quickly. This all feels like it was an eternity ago, but I have "fond" memories of puking after leg presses at the old gym, puking after wind sprints at the inaugural 6 a.m. workouts at Valley Fields, even puking at the Rec when Coach made us do three court suicides as punishment for someone being late or missing a workout. You learn a lot about yourself when you are hugging a trash can. TO THIS DAY, I have nightmares from hearing my alarm clock go off at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was a valuable lesson. I was both disappointed and relieved for the incoming recruits to hear Coach had softened up in his old age.
Some of my best friends are the guys I met at McCormick, Schroeder and the tennis team. Junior and Senior year were a blast as well. Ricky, Eigy, Tomek ('07) and I all had apartments across the hall from each other at campus town.
The basketball team making the Final Four my freshman year was another highlight of my time there. The athletic department as a whole was super supportive and I have nothing but amazing things to say about that group (Maureen Lewis and Tom Ford were always there to help).
I can't claim my fashion sense was fully developed back then. Sophomore year fall semester (coach's first year on the job) I had really long hair, coach wasn't having it, he let me play out the fall with it, but I had to promise I'd come back clean for the spring (threats were made, it was a long time ago, don't want to point any fingers). So I did, but every once and awhile I'd pull out a crusty old MU visor I used to own (this was the early 2000s, it was cool back then, I promise), Coach would just shoot me a sideways look.
Fast forward to my senior year, Wisconsin Invitational, I'm playing a really good match against a tough opponent (just happened to play for the university Coach used to work at), if I remember right, I was wearing said visor, Coach was already on edge. My backhand peaked that day, no question, best it's ever felt or ever would. After the second or third down the line backhand winner, I decided it was a good idea to start doing "Shooter McGavin finger guns" on every subsequent backhand winner. They were subtle, at hip level, nothing too flashy. A few teammates were on the sidelines watching the action and they were loving it! The third or fourth time I did it, suddenly they stopped cheering my subdued and respectful displays of emotion, I thought that was weird. Another backhand winner, and I looked over at Rick Servoss (who I knew would love this), with a look he told me all I needed to know. However, it was too late, I was already mid celebration, and that's not something you can just stop doing. I immediately hear a voice from behind me call me to the back fence. Coach was not too pleased (rightfully so), some words were exchanged, and let's just say I ended up losing that match in a third set tie breaker. If i had only worn a regular hat...
Fun Fact: My first time seeing snow was my freshman year at MU. We hosted the conference tournament that year. A foot of snow dropped in mid-April. Coincidentally, that would be the last time we hosted the event.
Ian Kawas | 2002-06 | San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Current Location: Tallahassee, FL (since 2006)
Family: I got married to a Tallahassee native (Ashley Davis, lawyer with the Florida Department of State) back in 2013. Our little girl (Helen) was born in 2015. I've been slowly sneaking tennis equipment into her toy basket for a few years now, hoping to cash in on that when it's time to look for colleges.
Employer/profession: I work as an electrical engineer at Wood PLC, a large engineering design firm. I've been with Wood for 13 years. My work mostly centers around managing, designing and commissioning control systems for solar and wind power plants. I also completed a masters in engineering management from Florida State University in 2010.
Marquette Memories: I remember my time at MU fondly. Eigy, Ricky and I (class of '06) witnessed the wrath of Coach Rodecap first hand. We were an undisciplined bunch when he got there (our sophomore year). Coach Rodecap and the strength and conditioning crew (Rudy Wade, Scott Holsopple and others) did their best to change that pretty quickly. This all feels like it was an eternity ago, but I have "fond" memories of puking after leg presses at the old gym, puking after wind sprints at the inaugural 6 a.m. workouts at Valley Fields, even puking at the Rec when Coach made us do three court suicides as punishment for someone being late or missing a workout. You learn a lot about yourself when you are hugging a trash can. TO THIS DAY, I have nightmares from hearing my alarm clock go off at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was a valuable lesson. I was both disappointed and relieved for the incoming recruits to hear Coach had softened up in his old age.
Some of my best friends are the guys I met at McCormick, Schroeder and the tennis team. Junior and Senior year were a blast as well. Ricky, Eigy, Tomek ('07) and I all had apartments across the hall from each other at campus town.
The basketball team making the Final Four my freshman year was another highlight of my time there. The athletic department as a whole was super supportive and I have nothing but amazing things to say about that group (Maureen Lewis and Tom Ford were always there to help).
I can't claim my fashion sense was fully developed back then. Sophomore year fall semester (coach's first year on the job) I had really long hair, coach wasn't having it, he let me play out the fall with it, but I had to promise I'd come back clean for the spring (threats were made, it was a long time ago, don't want to point any fingers). So I did, but every once and awhile I'd pull out a crusty old MU visor I used to own (this was the early 2000s, it was cool back then, I promise), Coach would just shoot me a sideways look.
Fast forward to my senior year, Wisconsin Invitational, I'm playing a really good match against a tough opponent (just happened to play for the university Coach used to work at), if I remember right, I was wearing said visor, Coach was already on edge. My backhand peaked that day, no question, best it's ever felt or ever would. After the second or third down the line backhand winner, I decided it was a good idea to start doing "Shooter McGavin finger guns" on every subsequent backhand winner. They were subtle, at hip level, nothing too flashy. A few teammates were on the sidelines watching the action and they were loving it! The third or fourth time I did it, suddenly they stopped cheering my subdued and respectful displays of emotion, I thought that was weird. Another backhand winner, and I looked over at Rick Servoss (who I knew would love this), with a look he told me all I needed to know. However, it was too late, I was already mid celebration, and that's not something you can just stop doing. I immediately hear a voice from behind me call me to the back fence. Coach was not too pleased (rightfully so), some words were exchanged, and let's just say I ended up losing that match in a third set tie breaker. If i had only worn a regular hat...
Fun Fact: My first time seeing snow was my freshman year at MU. We hosted the conference tournament that year. A foot of snow dropped in mid-April. Coincidentally, that would be the last time we hosted the event.
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