Starting as a freshman, Tanja Sukovic set a standard in the Shepard tennis program that few, if any, players have met.
She went 19-8 in her first year playing for the varsity team and qualified for the IHSA finals. It wouldn’t be the last time she went to state.
Sophomore year brought even more success. She closed with a record of 22-6, won the IHSA Sectional championship, and qualified again for state.
Her third year at Shepard she rose as high as #3 in Illinois state rankings. No one in memory has ever ranked that high in tennis at Shepard. She would win her second IHSA sectional championship, advance to the state finals, and place eighth in Illinois. Tanja finished 24-3 that year.
Finally as a senior she won the conference title, the IHSA sectional crown, and a fourth state qualification.
Her favorite athletic memory from Shepard? “Going on trips to tournaments. Meeting at Shepard at 5AM and taking the big van with the team,” she said.
After graduation, she played at Northern Illinois University and earned All-Mid America Conference honors in 2002. She earned her Doctorate of Chiropractic Degree in 2007.