The Olympic Touch

By MARTHA MARTINEZ

Set goals.

Those two words were repeated for student-athletes, and they came from three Fresno State Olympic athletes, who were honored for their accomplishments Friday at the Smittcamp Alumni House and at halftime of the Fresno State football game against Hawaii.

“Dream big,” Olympian and alumna Vanessa Czarnecki said. “It’s all about hard work. Set goals and strive to achieve them.”

Czarnecki helped lead the first Greek national softball team to a sixth place finish in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Former Fresno State wrestler and silver medalist Stephen Abas offered similar advice to athletes.

“I’m sure [my experience in Athens] inspires people to set goals,” said Abas, who was the first Bulldogs athlete to have two undefeated seasons. He was ranked No. 1 in the 125-pound weight class and was a four-time All American.

Fresno State wrestling coach Dennis DeLiddo said Abas’ perfect seasons at Fresno State were “nerve-wracking.”

“He never lost,” DeLiddo said. “He’s just a winner. He’s won at every level.”

DeLiddo joked the match for the Olympic gold medal in Athens seemed to affect him more than Abas.

After Abas fought a tough battle to get to the gold medal match, “it was just another match to him,” DeLiddo said.

Former All-Western Athletic Conference softball player Czarnecki said she considers herself more of a role model to the students she teaches and girls she coaches than to Fresno State students.

“You want a role model, talk to Laura [Berg],” Czarnecki said of her former Bulldogs teammate. “She’s won three gold medals.”

An American softball player and Fresno State alumna, Berg is part of the United States women’s softball team. She was also a four-year All-American while at Fresno State.

Berg expressed her gratitude—as the other two athletes did—for the support the community had for Fresno State athletes.

“It feels good just to feel this important in the community,” Abas said. “[The medal] wasn’t just good for myself, but for community and the country; it felt good.”

Fresno State President John Welty also recognized the importance of supporting and having former Fresno State athletes participate and win medals in Olympic games.

“No question that they are role models and inspiration, especially for young people,” Welty said. “We are honoring three people that have uniquely demonstrated to the world what happens when student-athletes take full advantage of coaches and support.”