University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Tarek Erlewein Receives 2024-25 Manly E. Wright Scholarship
05.15.2025 | Men's Tennis
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Men's Tennis senior Tarek Erlewein has received the 2024-25 Manly E. Wright Scholarship, announced recently by the University of North Carolina Asheville.
The Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award is awarded to "the graduating student who is first in scholarship," as judged by the Latin Honors and Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award Committee. This award comes with an invitation to address graduating students at the Spring Commencement, as well as a monetary award and an engraved silver platter. Students are nominated through their department(s) or program(s), although any faculty member may nominate a student to their department or program chair. Further, while nominations come through departments or programs, letters of recommendation may come from any faculty member.
"We are honored to have another student-athlete earn the Manly E. Wright Scholarship," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "As a department, we aim to Dream Bigger and Achieve More. Additionally, we are committed to developing Champions in Athletics and Leaders in Life in our scholar-athletes and Tarek is a prime example of that."
Erlewein has been a three-year member of the Men's Tennis team, while completing dual degrees in Economics and Business. To accomplish this, Erlewein completed 20-24 hours of coursework each semester. In total, Erlewein has completed 130 hours of coursework and at least five micro-credential certifications despite coming to Asheville with no AP or transfer credits. He will graduate with his degree in Economics with Distinction, while also having earned status as a University Research Scholar. He published his senior thesis on immigrant assimilation in the United States, while also helping to construct and develop a tennis tournament series for the Bremen region of Germany as part of a summer internship.
On the tennis court, Erlewein will go down as winning one of the biggest matches in program history as his victory at No. 4 singles against Gardner-Webb on Apr. 22, 2024 clinched the Bulldogs first Big South Conference Championship title. This past season, Erlewein earned First Team All-Conference honors in singles play, while also earning back-to-back Big South Conference Player of the Week honors. He was also named the Big South Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and also named to the league's All-Academic Team. He has also earned two Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete honors in his career. In total for his Bulldog career, he has earned 34 wins in singles play and 25 wins in doubles play.
"Tarek has excelled in the classroom and on the tennis court throughout his time as a UNC Asheville," said head coach Matt Frost. "He thoroughly deserves the recognition!"
About the Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award
 Mr. Manly E. Wright was one of the key figures in the history of UNC Asheville. He served as a long-time member of the Board of Trustees of Asheville-Biltmore College, and was Chairman of the Board during two crucial periods in the history of the university: when it became a four-year institution in 1964 and when it joined the University of North Carolina System in 1969. Mr. Wright was the one who, in 1958, scouted farmland north of the Montford neighborhood and negotiated with Landon Roberts and heirs of the Kimberley Estate for the sale of nearly 100 acres that would become the new permanent home of UNC Asheville as it moved down from Seeley Castle on Town Mountain. Mr. Wright pleaded with the Carlyle Commission in 1962 to award Asheville-Biltmore College status as a 4-year school under the Omnibus Higher Education Act of 1963. In 1965, Mr. Wright brought greetings to the first graduating class of the new 4-year institution. When Mr. Wright passed away in 1979, the top student award was renamed from the Cecil L. Reid Academic Award to the Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award by Mrs. Elizabeth Wright, the daughter of Mr. Reid and wife of Mr. Wright. The first recipient of this award was Helen Bobo, a 1966 graduate.
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The Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award is awarded to "the graduating student who is first in scholarship," as judged by the Latin Honors and Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award Committee. This award comes with an invitation to address graduating students at the Spring Commencement, as well as a monetary award and an engraved silver platter. Students are nominated through their department(s) or program(s), although any faculty member may nominate a student to their department or program chair. Further, while nominations come through departments or programs, letters of recommendation may come from any faculty member.
"We are honored to have another student-athlete earn the Manly E. Wright Scholarship," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "As a department, we aim to Dream Bigger and Achieve More. Additionally, we are committed to developing Champions in Athletics and Leaders in Life in our scholar-athletes and Tarek is a prime example of that."
Erlewein has been a three-year member of the Men's Tennis team, while completing dual degrees in Economics and Business. To accomplish this, Erlewein completed 20-24 hours of coursework each semester. In total, Erlewein has completed 130 hours of coursework and at least five micro-credential certifications despite coming to Asheville with no AP or transfer credits. He will graduate with his degree in Economics with Distinction, while also having earned status as a University Research Scholar. He published his senior thesis on immigrant assimilation in the United States, while also helping to construct and develop a tennis tournament series for the Bremen region of Germany as part of a summer internship.
On the tennis court, Erlewein will go down as winning one of the biggest matches in program history as his victory at No. 4 singles against Gardner-Webb on Apr. 22, 2024 clinched the Bulldogs first Big South Conference Championship title. This past season, Erlewein earned First Team All-Conference honors in singles play, while also earning back-to-back Big South Conference Player of the Week honors. He was also named the Big South Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and also named to the league's All-Academic Team. He has also earned two Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete honors in his career. In total for his Bulldog career, he has earned 34 wins in singles play and 25 wins in doubles play.
"Tarek has excelled in the classroom and on the tennis court throughout his time as a UNC Asheville," said head coach Matt Frost. "He thoroughly deserves the recognition!"
About the Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award
 Mr. Manly E. Wright was one of the key figures in the history of UNC Asheville. He served as a long-time member of the Board of Trustees of Asheville-Biltmore College, and was Chairman of the Board during two crucial periods in the history of the university: when it became a four-year institution in 1964 and when it joined the University of North Carolina System in 1969. Mr. Wright was the one who, in 1958, scouted farmland north of the Montford neighborhood and negotiated with Landon Roberts and heirs of the Kimberley Estate for the sale of nearly 100 acres that would become the new permanent home of UNC Asheville as it moved down from Seeley Castle on Town Mountain. Mr. Wright pleaded with the Carlyle Commission in 1962 to award Asheville-Biltmore College status as a 4-year school under the Omnibus Higher Education Act of 1963. In 1965, Mr. Wright brought greetings to the first graduating class of the new 4-year institution. When Mr. Wright passed away in 1979, the top student award was renamed from the Cecil L. Reid Academic Award to the Manly E. Wright Scholarship Award by Mrs. Elizabeth Wright, the daughter of Mr. Reid and wife of Mr. Wright. The first recipient of this award was Helen Bobo, a 1966 graduate.
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