Third in a series of stories highlighting the academic, community and personal achievements of University of Toledo student-athletes.

By Breven Miller, University of Toledo Student Intern
 
Shalini Tallamraju and Ava McQuillin were both exposed to the world of medicine at a young age, which might explain why they both are pursuing careers in the medical field.
 
Though they have similar academic interests, Tallamraju and McQuillin were drawn to the study of medicine from completely opposite directions. Tallamraju's mother, Anju, is a family physician in her hometown of Munster, Ind. "My mother was a role model to me," said Tallamraju. "I saw how she really wanted to help people and saw her passion for that, which generated my interest in medicine."
 
McQuillin, on the other hand, saw the world of medicine from a patient's perspective.
 
"I was born with kidney problems, so since a very young age I've been in and out of the hospital with frequent kidney infections," said McQuillin, who grew up in nearby Waterville and attended Central Catholic High School. "When I was around 12 years old or so, I had kidney surgery. So being around doctors for pretty much my entire life has led to me having close connections to those doctors and made me want to help people in the same way they helped me."
 
Tallamraju and McQuillin's other shared interest, obviously, is tennis. Both came to Toledo with accolades and high expectations. McQuillin was a three-time conference Player of the Year and a four-time state tournament qualifier at Central Catholic. Tallamraju was a three-time first-team all-state honoree in the state of Indiana.
 
Their coach at Toledo, Tracy Mauntler, thinks that having two student-athletes in the same program might work to their advantage.
 
"The hardest part for them will be further down the road, when they have to be in a three-hour lab in the middle of the day when we're practicing," she said. "If they have to miss practice because of class or a lab, they can just come at a different time and we can work around it. With these two being in the same year of the same program, a lot of their conflicts will likely be together, which will be helpful because they will get to practice against a teammate even when they have practice separately from the rest of the team."
 
So far, Mauntler has been impressed with the academic and athletic motivation of her freshmen.
 
"Shalini comes from a high-achieving family," said Mauntler. "I could tell from early on in the recruiting process. She was almost more ahead of the game than I was. 'Really driven' would be the best way to describe her.
 
"I've known Ava for a long time and I can tell you she is also very driven. On her unofficial visit, we went to see the medical college, which I've never done with a recruit. Normally we focus on the undergraduate level, but she really wanted to see the medical school. She was someone who knew right away that she wanted to be a neurosurgeon, and at age 17 if you're able to figure that out, it's pretty impressive."
 
Both players said they thrive on challenges, whether on the court or in the classroom.
 
 "I've always liked the grind," said Tallamraju, who plans to focus on a career related to sports medicine. "Yeah, it can get tiring sometimes, but I think I like how much I have to work. There's always going to be certain obstacles, but you just have to get through them. It's always one step at a time."
 
"I'm definitely a perfectionist," added McQuillin. "I'm also an only child, so I've always had to hold myself to a high standard."
 
McQuillin and Tallamraju are aware of the steep climb that stands before them. Admittance into medical school is highly competitive for any student, much less a Division I student-athlete who must balance academics with the extra time needed for practice, travel and competition. But they will have the advantage of leaning on each other for support.
 
"We take a lot of the same classes already," said McQuillin. "It's super nice knowing that someone else has the same heavy workload of being a pre-med major and a student-athlete."

Previous Stories

Feb. 24 - Tycen Anderson Draws Inspiration From His Grandmother
March 3 - Thailand Native Thawin Suksathaporn has found a home in Toledo