GC tennis junior Gabe Cizek has earned preseason all-conference honors heading into this spring’s season. Cizek, from Prague, Czech Republic, has made Milledgeville a comfortable spot with his performances on the court.

Cizek has earned this honor heading into his second season with the Bobcats – stemming from his success last year, which he ended with selection to the Peach Belt Conference All-Conference team.

Last year, Cizek had a 7-9 singles record, going 3-3 against conference opponents. GC will look to gain experience from non-conference play and prepare for the most important part of their season, as they are projected to finish fifth in the PBC this season in the coaches poll. 

The team will begin conference play against Flagler College, ranked first in the coaches poll, on March 29, in Milledgeville.

Cizek looks to play lights out to prove common opinion wrong. The kid from the Czech Republic is entering this year not holding high light to individual awards and looks forward to creating results this year for his team.

“I honestly don’t place a big emphasis on any rewards I have received or I will ever receive,” Cizek said. “I don’t care too much, and I will explain why. I think that is a big misunderstanding and poison of today’s society and why so many people lack motivation and focus. We place our dopamine release mainly on what comes after the reward, not on the process itself.”

However, Cizek sees a little positive in his recognition.

“I love to challenge myself,” Cizek said “I love the grind, and I love the people who are part of the grind with me. The excitement has to come from the process itself, not the reward. That being said, I certainly like the fact that people believe in me, and to some limited extent, it feels pretty good.”

Cizek hopes that, among everything else, trusting the process and maintaining high focus will elevate him to the level of play he produced last year.

“I plan to remain locked in while enjoying the process in the same way that I have up to this point,” Cizek said. “Nothing else matters, and I strongly believe that the good things will automatically come with it.”

Across the board, the Bobcats are set to have an improved season compared to last year. With leaders like Cizek in our corner, GC is primed to have success and make memories on and off the court this season.