UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Tanja Magoc, UTEP tennis

EL PASO, Texas - Due to Covid-19, UTEP was unable to honor last year's inductees to the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2020 will finally be honored with an induction ceremony Saturday, October 15.

As the official home of the UTEP Miners, ABC-7 will be catching up with some of the members of the Class of 2020.

Our first profile is an El Paso tennis player who took the UTEP tennis program to new heights during her time as a Miner.

Tanja Magoc was just 18-years-old when she came to El Paso from her native Serbia.

It was Magoc's first visit to the United States and she says she instantly felt welcomed by the El Paso Community.

Magoc played tennis for the Miners from 1997-2000.

She will become the first UTEP tennis player to be inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 1998, Magoc qualified for the NCAA Championships in tennis.

She's the only UTEP tennis player to ever qualify for the NCAA tournament, and she is also the only player in program history to notch 30 wins in a season – a feat she achieved in both 1997 (31) and 1998 (33). 

Magoc also owns the UTEP record with 110 singles victories. 

A four-time first team All-WAC honoree, she was also a four-time Academic All-Conference choice. 

Magoc defeated 22 ranked opponents during her time at UTEP, including the nation's no. 8-rated player.

While she'll never forget the memories she had on the tennis court, what Magoc is most grateful for is the support she received from the El Paso community.

"I can talk about success, if you ask me about a match, you know I beat a girl who was ranked number 8 that is definitely always in my mind, definitely the biggest win in my career, but I more remember belonging there," Magoc said. "It's an honor to be with all the other great people on the same list, people who are famous around the country and here I am."