A new Tuesday has arrived, so it is time for a new university spotlight! Last week you read about Lindsey Wilson College, of which Jelle Golbach is part. This week we take a look at Althens, Ohio where the group of student-athletes called the ‘Bobcats’ can be found. And since August, the Bobcats have gained another field hockey talent: Slamstox hockey player Minke Bultje!
Last summer, Minke traded the A1 girls team at HBS for an adventure at Ohio University. The start of her student-athlete career was therefore with corona measures, but as she says in an interview with hockey.nl, this has actually made her closer to her team.
Last winter, we saw photos and videos passing by with a lot of snow at Ohio University. As a result, Minke’s team trained indoors while indoor hockey is not very well known in the USA. Fortunately, there is plenty to experience on the university campus, even during cold winters! Below Minke explains why she chose Ohio University:
“I chose Ohio University because of the good connection I felt with the coach. Besides, I feel like I can develop myself to my full potential at Ohio University and the team seems very nice as well!”
Minke Bultje – Student-athlete
Want to know more about Minke’s university? Keep scrolling!
Campus
Ohio University is a public university. This often means that there are more students every year than at a private university. This is also the case at Ohio University, where nearly 35,000 students attend the university every year. Ohio University consists of several campuses, the largest campus is in Athens, of which Minke is also part. There are about 23,000 students there every year! In the photo below you can spot a photo of the campus.
The main campus of Ohio University in Athens is home to study buildings, student dorms, restaurants, shops and much more. But whats most impressive on campus are the sports facilities for the Bobcats! These are the facilities we want to learn more about, you can read more about them below!
‘Convocation Center’, also called ‘The Convo’, is the facility where basketball games, wrestling matches and volleyball matches are held. In addition, many concerts and other events have also been held in the past. It is one of the most special buildings on campus and it is one of the largest stadiums in the region, with seating for 15,000 people. Below you can see a photo of part of The Convo. Looks cool right? Building the facility cost $ 8.2 million!
‘Peden Stadium’ is named after longtime Bobcat coach Don Peden. It is the oldest stadium in the Conference in which the Bobcats are active, as it has been there since 1929! Since then, the stadium has of course undergone several renovations, since 2001 up to 24,000 fans can watch the sports matches at the same time! Do you already see yourself playing games there?
‘Goldsberry Track’ is the facility where the track & field team and the field hockey team from Minke come into action! The artificial grass field (called Pruitt Field) is in the middle, the athletics track is around it. Goldsberry Track is considered one of the best athletic facilities in the conference.
In addition to the above 3 facilities, there is a lot more to be found on the Ohio campus, including a beautiful fitness, sports pool and many other indoor facilities. Are you curious about these other sports facilities? Then check the athletic facilities page of the Bobcats!
Would you like to see more of the campus in general? Last year the video below was made by one of the students!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avFT1KDCU4o
Athletics
In total, the Bobcats consist of 15 different varsity teams, of which 9 women’s and 6 men’s teams. All teams compete within the NCAA Division I and the university has been part of the Mid American Conference (MAC) since 1946. The American Football team participates within the FBS, which is the highest division within College Football.
You probably discovered the university colors by now: white and green. But not just green, the Bobcats call it ‘Hunter Green’. Sounds way cooler doesn’t it? During the matches, the stands are colored green and white by the fans, mascot Rufus comes to cheer the Bobcats (you can see him in the photo below) and the fight song of the Bobcats is sung. ‘Stand up and Cheer’ is the title. We have put the lyrics below. Are you already singing it out loud, Minke?
Stand up and cheer
Cheer loud and long for old OHIO
For today we raise
The Green and White above the rest
Our team is fighting,
And we are bound to win the fray
We’ve got the team,
We’ve got the steam,
For this is old OHIO’s day!
The Ohio Bobcats have some beautiful traditions, one of those traditions is with the ‘Marching 110’. They are a well-known group that has already done many beautiful things around the country, including a performance during Bill Clinton’s first ride through Washington as president. They also perform at various professional American Football matches. And what is so special about them? They perform at every American Football home game from the Ohio Bobcats! A cool appearance of which the university is very proud. You can see it in the picture below. That’s a great start for every game, right?
Beautiful facilities, a cool fight song and mascot, cheerleaders and our own marching band naturally include high-level student athletes. The Bobcats have won many titles in the history of the school. Curious about the level of the Bobcats? Then check out their Youtube channel, it contains videos of all the different teams!
Academics
Studying is also important at Ohio University. As a student-athlete you must ensure that your study results are sufficient, only then is it approved that you also spend a lot of time on your sport. That makes studying important within the life of a student-athlete. Are you curious about which courses are offered at Ohio University? Check this link for the entire list of courses.
And as in most spotlights, we have another list of fast facts about this university! Because um, did you know that Ohio University…
- has 10 regional campuses across the state in addition to the main campus?
- has no less than 3 art galleries on campus?
- hands out $ 12 million in scholarships to freshmen every year?
- Ohio’s highest-rated public university is?
- in the top 100 with best public universities? (acc to US News)
- in the top 15 with most beautiful campuses? (acc to Expedia)
We hope you have learned a lot about Ohio University by now. And did you start thinking: ‘what Imke does, I want that too!’ Then contact us. We are happy to help you!
