After years of hard work on both the field hockey pitches of Oranje Rood and the school desks of the Van Maerlant Lyceum, Anthe was more than ready: in 2018 she started her American Dream! With a VWO diploma and a lot of field hockey experience, she jumped on the plane to Iowa. With Jersey #6, she competes as a Hawkeye for the University of Iowa.
As a kid, Anthe played tennis as well, but later decided to focus entirely on field hockey. Was she supposed to be a hockey player? We think so! Both her parents played field hockey a lot. As a strong defender of The Hawkeyes, Anthe achieved great success in her first year. She started in all 21 games and played, with the exception of only one game, the full 70 minutes in each game. She scored five goals and delivered four assists: the highest number of all freshmen on the team!
A great performance for our Slamstox player, and obviously we are proud of her. We thought it was time this week to feature Anthe with her University of Iowa in the University Spotlight!
Field hockey is becoming increasingly important in America, with the Dutch field hockey players being popular candidates for the best scholarships! We asked Anthe what she finds most special about playing field hockey and studying in America:
“You meet so many different people from different places. During this adventure, your team becomes your second family. Playing hockey in America is so valuable, for the rest of your life. I would recommend it to everyone”
Anthe Nijziel – Slamstox hockey player
Curious about the University of Iowa & the Hawks? Keep reading!
The campus
In the state of Iowa, you will find Iowa City and there you will find the University of Iowa. Io-whut … Are you still following? Yup, Iowa City! Located in between three major cities: Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City. Iowa City itself has just over 77,000 inhabitants and is mainly known for the beautiful University of Iowa. Iowa City gives you the feeling that you have suddenly arrived in the Wild West. You can spend the night on a ranch and take horse rides on the prairies. Iowa is also known as the birthplace of none other than Buffalo Bill and John Wayne. Go, cowboy!
The University of Iowa is the oldest and second largest university in the state. The Iowa River runs through the middle of the university grounds, which divides the state in two: the east and west sides.
In the past University Spotlights, many special universities have already passed, but the University of Iowa is surprising us again. The sports facilities are extraordinary: there is an indoor hitting facility for baseball and softball, huge stadiums and Anthe’s team even has its own private jet to travel to games!
The largest stadium, seen in the photo above, is Hinnick’s Stadium. The stadium hosts 77,000 (!) fans, that is about 20.000 more than the Dutch Johan Cruijf arena in Amsterdam! It must be a dream for every athlete to be able to play in a stadium of this size. Just another day in the office for the Hawkeyes Football players..!
View all facilities of the University of Iowa here!
Sports
An impressive level of sports is obviously required with these impressive facilities. The Hawkeyes compete with 22 athletic teams: 10 of which are men’s and 12 are women’s teams. All teams compete in the NCAA Division 1 and the Big Ten Conference.
The male wrestling team stands out among all sports teams: the Hawkeyes have won 25 NCAA titles in total; an unbelievable achievement.
The field hockey team is very successful as well: they have been awarded as the most successful women’s team at the university. The team won a total of 13 conference titles and has reached the NCAA Final Four a total of 11 times. In total, 13 Hawkeye field hockey ladies have played at the Olympics! This year, the team, including Anthe, won the Big Ten Conference. A great achievement! Anthe received a huge championship ring, a very special trophy.
Like all American universities, Iowa also has its own mascot. Herky the Hawk is present at every competition, Herky has been part of the athletic program since 1948. Just like the audience and athletes, Herky is also dressed in the colors of the university: black and gold. Go hawks!
Academics
The university offers more than 200 different study programs in all kinds of categories, so there is a choice for everyone! The majors range from biology courses to finance and economics. Are you curious if your desired program of education is also offered at Iowa? Check it out in the list of courses!
Nearly all 33,000 students studying in Iowa participate in one of many student organizations in addition to their studies. These are the extracurricular activities that make your student days just a little crazier, more challenging or more fun. Theater, making music or playing an extra sport for fun: the University of Iowa makes dreams come true!
Do you, like Anthe, want to become a student-athlete at the University of Iowa or just want some extra information? Shoot us a message!
