By Kat Krtnick
UWRF Sports Information

Besides sharing a common fervor for the sport of basketball, what does the Falcons 6-10 center Ryan Zylstra have in common with NBA legends Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan? Not only are all renowned for their exceptional athletic talents, but all three men have a stern commitment to another lifelong passion - entrepreneurship.

After graduating from UW-RF with a business-broad area major in 2008, Zylstra plans to pursue his ultimate career objective involving the launch of his own web-development business. Steadfast and determined to be his own boss, he attributes his industriousness, both in e-commerce as well as on the basketball court, to the adamant "work ethic" that he's learned from his parents.

Though highly-driven, Zylstra (or "Z" as his teammates call him) has a very "easygoing" personality, but is quickly learning how important it is to be aggressive down low in the post. After years of scouting NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal, Zylstra hopes to emulate Shaq's persona out on the court: "He can throw people around and that's what I want to do."

Zylstra, the leading BIG man for the Falcons, hopes to capitalize on his "posting up and rebounding skills" as the rest of the season unfolds and is working to incorporate a new "dribble drive" move into his game to ensure that the defense is always on its toes. He has already been named the Falcon Player of the Week once this year with his career high performance of 22 points and nine rebounds against UW-Whitewater.

This Annandale, Minn., native is no stranger to accolades, though. In high school "Z" was named to the all-conference team and honored as team MVP. In addition, he lead his team to two consecutive section semifinal appearances, where his high school team lost to Falcon teammate (and now roommate) Hans Hoeg's Litchfield team both times.

A well-rounded individual, Zylstra also participated in football, track & field, and was a tuba player in the marching band during high school.

Now as a first-year starter for the Falcons, Zylstra is quickly getting acclimated to the intensity of the WIAC and the game situations inherent within such a powerful conference. "I used to get nervous, but now it's just a matter of performing my best."

To Falcon Coach Rick Bowen it is extremely evident that Zylstra has made tremendous strides in his game this season. "Since the start of the season until the last two or three ball games, the improvement of Ryan Zylstra has been some place between very good and extraordinary," he said.   "The biggest improvement I see in Ryan is that he's getting confidence in himself and in his game."

And with the chemistry gradually igniting for the Falcon core, Zylstra's performance can only bolster the high hopes of the team for the post-season tournament. Zylstra, confident in the progression of his team says, "We are starting to play really well right now. We will be pretty tough once the conference tourney comes around; no one will want to play us."

Thus far in his collegiate basketball career, "Z's" fondest memory has been his red-shirt freshman season when the Falcons were crowned WIAC Champions, but with two-and-a-half seasons of eligibility remaining, Zylstra still has two goals to accomplish before he retires competitively from the game: to win the WIAC post-season tournament and to have an opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. Both ambitions, Zylstra believes, are very attainable.

Basketball may be his sport of choice today, but in elementary school "Z" could be found shooting goals on the soccer field. Once fifth grade basketball season came, he decided to trade in his soccer cleats for a pair of Nike high-tops. The size seemed to fit just right back then, and though he might have outgrown a few pairs over the years, thankfully, those Nikes still fit.

Size, just as in choosing shoes, is a significant variable in choosing an athletic program -   especially when the human population seems to be growing taller and stronger with each generation. Though Zylstra's stature gave him many opportunities to play basketball at prominent Div. II schools, he selected UW-RF as his collegiate home because it was the most fitting for him. "It is not too big or too small." Zylstra may be the BIG man on campus but is definitely a perfect fit for the Falcons.    

A self-claimed "country boy" at heart, Zylstra spends his summers working at his Dad's insurance office and tending to the lawn and "grunt work" of his old farm home. Though spare time comes seldom for "Z", he spends most of it reading books and working out. His favorite book is The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.

Whether it's managing his future web-development business or battling in the post for the Falcons, Zylstra continually reminds himself to, "Never give up. You never completely know the outcome until the final buzzer." Even then, there should always be a perpetual drive to improve and get better everyday.

Ryan Zylstra