The Iowa Hawkeyes field hockey team is the intercollegiate field hockey program representing the University of Iowa. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Iowa field hockey team plays its home games at Dr. Christine H.B. Grant Field on the university campus in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have won 16 conference championships (13 in the Big Ten), six Big Ten tournament titles, and the 1986 NCAA Division I field hockey tournament, making it the first Midwestern university to win a national title. As of 2014, the team is coached by Lisa Cellucci.
History Field hockey has been a varsity sport at the University of Iowa since 1973, before that field hockey was a club sport. Iowa was a leader in early implementation of the Title IX legislation, which was passed in 1972. Christine Grant, PhD, was coach in 1973 and 1974 before she retired from coaching to become Iowa women's athletics director and a national voice for women in sport. She was also president of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) - which was the governing organization for women's intercollegiate athletics before the NCAA took over. From 1981 to 1989 and again since 1992, the Hawkeyes have been members of the Big Ten Conference, while they participated in the Midwestern Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (MCFHC) during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. Iowa is one of the most accomplished field hockey programs in the Big Ten, with 16 claimed conference championships (13 in the Big Ten), six conference tournament titles, and 11 NCAA Final Four appearances to its credit. In 1986, the Hawkeyes became the first field hockey team from the Midwest to win the national championship, when they beat New Hampshire 2–1 in double overtime in the NCAA title game. Additionally, Iowa has cumulatively amassed a total of 85 national All-Americans, 152 regional All-Americans, and 162 All-Conference selections. In program history, the Hawkeyes have had a total of only five head coaches: Margie Greenberg (1977), Judith Davidson (1978–87), Beth Beglin (1988–99), Tracey Griesbaum (2000–13), and Lisa Cellucci (2014–present). In addition to Cellucci, who is herself a former Iowa player, Hawkeye alumni have attained the position of head coach at numerous other NCAA programs, including Ball State (Annette Payne), Dartmouth (Amy Fowler), Indiana (Amy Robertson), Kent State (Kerry [Horgan] Devries), Michigan (Marcia Pankratz), Princeton (Kristen Holmes-Winn), Rutgers (Liz Tchou), Stanford (Lesley Irvine), and Virginia (Michele Madison and Missi Sanders).
Season-by-season results
In 1973, five Hawkeyes were selected to play on the all-Iowa college team: Sue Lewis, Caroline Emrich, Sue Bouch, Liz Ullman, and Robyn Linn. The 1974 season, coached by Christine Grant, had a 1–6–4 record. Two Hawkeyes were selected to play on the State Field Hockey team: Liz Ullman and Sue Bouck. The 1975 team, coached by Margie Greenberg, had a 3–6–2 record. The 1976 team's record was 9–5–2. Three Hawkeyes advanced to the State Team that year: Carla Seltzer, Barb Resnick and Karen Zamora. Karen Zamora was then selected as a qualifier for the National Field Hockey Tournament. Year Head coach Overall Pct. Conf. Pct. Conf. Place Conf. Tourn. Postseason 1977 Margie Greenberg 17–5–3 – – – – AIAW regional tourn. 1978 Judith Davidson 12–9–4 – – – – AIAW regional tourn. 1979 17–8–1 – – – – AIAW national tourn. 1980 19–7–1 – – – – AIAW national tourn. 1981 25–5–1 3–0 – 1st AIAW national tourn. 1982 21–2 6–0 1st – NCAA 2nd Round 1983 19–3–2 9–1 T1st – NCAA 2nd Round 1984 17–5–3 8–1–1 2nd – NCAA Runner-Up 1985 19–4–1 9–1 T1st – NCAA 2nd Round 1986 19–2–1 9–1 1st – NCAA Champions 1987 17–5–2 8–0–2 1st – NCAA Final Four 1988 Beth Beglin 19–6 6–2 2nd – NCAA Runner-Up 1989 19–2–2 9–0–1 1st – NCAA Final Four 1990 20–4 9–1 1st – NCAA Final Four 1991 17–2–1 10–0 1st – NCAA 2nd Round 1992 20–1 10–0 1st – NCAA Runner-Up 1993 18–4 8–2 2nd – NCAA Final Four 1994 15–8 6–4 3rd 1st NCAA Final Four 1995 16–4 10–0 1st 2nd NCAA 1st Round 1996 18–3 10–0 1st 2nd NCAA 1st Round 1997 8–10 4–6 4th T5th – 1998 10–10 4–6 T4th T3rd – 1999 19–3 9–1 1st 2nd NCAA Final Four 2000 Tracey Griesbaum 12–8 3–3 T3rd T3rd – 2001 13–5 3–3 T4th 2nd – 2002 9–8 2–4 T4th T5th – 2003 11–8 2–4 5th T5th – 2004 13–8 5–1 T1st 2nd NCAA 1st Round 2005 10–8 3–3 T3rd T5th – 2006 12–9 2–4 5th 1st NCAA 1st Round 2007 17–4 4–2 3rd 1st NCAA 1st Round 2008 18–5 4–2 2nd 1st NCAA Final Four 2009 9–10 3–3 4th T3rd – 2010 3–14 0–6 7th T5th – 2011 11–5 4–2 T2nd T3rd NCAA 1st Round 2012 14–7 4–2 T2nd T3rd NCAA 1st Round 2013 13–8 2–4 5th 2nd – 2014 Lisa Cellucci 11–7 4–4 T5th T5th – Season-by-season results through the end of the 2014 season
Awards and accolades
National championships Iowa has been well represented at the NCAA Championships, appearing 22 times with 11 Final Four appearances. In 1986, the Hawkeyes beat conference rivals Northwestern en route to the Final Four. There, they shut out Penn State 2–0 and topped New Hampshire 2–1 for their first national championship, becoming the first women's team at the university to win an NCAA Championship. Year Coach Opponent Score Record 1986 Judith Davidson New Hampshire Wildcats 2–1 19–2–1
Conference championships Iowa has won 16 conference titles, 13 in the Big Ten Conference and three in the Midwest Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (MCFHC). Year Coach Conference Record Overall Record Conference NCAA Result 1981 Judith Davidson 3–0 25–5-1 Big Ten- 1982 6–0 21–2 Big TenNCAA 2nd Round 1983 9–1 19–3–2 Big TenNCAA 2nd Round 1985 9–1 19–4–1 Big Ten NCAA 2nd Round 1986 9–1 19–2–1 Big Ten NCAA Champions 1987 8–0–2 17–5–2 Big Ten NCAA Final Four 1989 Beth Beglin 9–0–1 19–2–2 MCFHC NCAA Final Four 1990 9–1 20–4 MCFHC NCAA Final Four 1991 10–0 17–2–1 MCFHC NCAA 2nd Round 1992 10–0 20–1 Big Ten NCAA Runner-Up 1995 10–0 16–4 Big Ten NCAA 1st Round 1996 10–0 18–3 Big Ten NCAA 1st Round 1999 9–1 19–3 Big Ten NCAA Final Four 2004 Tracey Griesbaum 5–1 13–8 Big Ten NCAA 1st Round 2019 Lisa Cellucci 7–1 17-4 Big TenNCAA 2nd Round 2021 7–1 17-3 Big TenNCAA 2nd Round 16 Conference Championships 13 Big Ten Championships, 3 MCFHC Championships
All-Americans Key First-team selection Second-team selection Third-team selection
SeasonPlayerRemarks 1981 Sue Bury 1981 Pat Dauley 1981 Donna Lee 1982 Sue Bury Second first-team selection 1982 Donna Lee Second first-team selection 1983 Ellen Egan 1984 Deb Brickey 1984 Kim Hermann 1984 Mary Koboldt 1984 Marcia Pankratz 1985 Deb Brickey Second first-team selection 1985 Mary Koboldt Second selection 1985 Marcia Pankratz Second first-team selection 1986 Karen Napolitano 1986 RosAnna Salcido 1987 Liz Tchou 1988 Cherie Freddie 1988 Diane Loosbrock 1988 Erica Richards 1989 Cherie Freddie Second first-team selection 1989 Kristy Gleason 1989 Erica Richards Second first-team selection 1989 Aileen Trendler 1990 Kris Fillat 1990 Amy Fowler 1990 Kristy Gleason Second first-team selection 1990 Andrea Wieland 1991 Heather Bryant 1991 Amy Fowler Second selection 1991 Kristy Gleason Third first-team selection
SeasonPlayerRemarks 1991 Lisa Sweeney 1991 Jibs Thorson 1992 Tiffany Bybel 1992 Kris Fillat Second first-team selection 1992 Amy Fowler Third selection; Second first-team selection 1992 Kristy Gleason Fourth first-team selection 1992 Jamie Rofrano 1992 Andrea Wieland Second first-team selection 1993 Heather Bryant Second selection 1993 Tiffany Bybel Second selection 1994 Kristen Holmes 1994 Debbie Humpage 1995 Lisa Celluci 1995 Diane DeMiro 1995 Jessica Enoch 1995 Ann Pare 1996 Lisa Celluci Second selection 1996 Diane DeMiro Second first-team selection 1996 Kristen Holmes Second first-team selection 1996 Melisa Miller 1997 Kerry Lessard 1997 Melisa Miller Second selection 1998 Lisa Celluci Third selection 1998 Kerry Lessard Second selection 1999 Kelly Druley 1999 Quan Nim 1999 Sarah Thorn 2000 Natalie Dawson 2001 Tiffany Leister
SeasonPlayerRemarks 2002 Tiffany Leister Second selection 2003 Pattie Gillem 2003 Barb Weinberg 2004 Sarah Dawson 2004 Barb Weinberg Second selection 2005 Heather Schnepf 2006 Heather Schnepf Second selection 2007 Meghan Beamesdefer 2007 Lauren Pfeiffer 2008 Caroline Blaum Second selection 2008 Roz Ellis 2008 Lauren Pfeiffer Second selection 2009 Meghan Beamesdefer Second selection 2011 Jessica Barnett 2012 Jessica Barnett Second selection 2012 Kathleen McGraw 2013 Natalie Cafone 2013 Dani Hemeon 2014 Natalie Cafone Second selection 2014 Stephanie Norlander
Olympians OlympicsPlayerCountry 1984 Beth Beglin 1988 Beth Beglin Mary Koboldt Donna Lee Marcia Pankratz Patty Shea 1996 Kris Fillat Kristen Holmes Marcia Pankratz Patty Shea Liz Tchou Andrea Wieland 2008 Barb Weinberg Awards and accolades through the end of the 2014 season
Stadium
Iowa has played its home games at Dr. Christine H.B. Grant Field since its construction in 1989. Originally named Hawkeye Field Hockey Field, in 1991 the stadium was renamed in honor of Christine Grant, the founder of the Iowa field hockey program and former Women's Athletics director of the university. Grant Field was rededicated in 2006 after the completion of significant renovations that included a new playing surface, a permanent grandstand, new concession facilities, restrooms, and a press box. Described by former Michigan field hockey player and current Big Ten Network analyst Kara Lentz as "the best facility in the Big Ten", Grant Field has witnessed a 40-game Iowa home winning streak in addition to undefeated Hawkeyes home campaigns on six separate occasions. The stadium's official capacity is 1,000, while its all-time single-game attendance record stands at 1,339, which was set during a game against Penn State on October 24, 1993.
Title IX Activism In the wake of the firing of former University of Iowa Field Hockey Coach Tracey Griesbaum on August 4, 2014, current players Chandler Ackers and Natalie Cafone joined former players Jessy Silfer and Dani Hemeon in filing a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. Coach Griesbaum was terminated after former players levied a series of allegations against her coaching methods and the culture within the field hockey program.Id. Despite an internal investigation by the university determining that she had not violated any university policy, Griesbaum was fired just days before the start of the 2014 season.
At the heart of the complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the agency responsible for overseeing Title IX compliance within the Department of Education, are allegations that the University of Iowa's Athletic Department engages in discriminatory practices and decision-making, often resulting in the removal of highly qualified female coaches from female programs. The student-athletes further allege that the removal of top female coaches deny to female athletes educational benefits protected under Title IX.
As provided by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, "[n]o person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."Bartlett, Rhode & Grossman, Gender and Law: Theory, Doctrine, Commentary 257 (6th ed. 2013). As a state institution of higher education, the University of Iowa is subject to the provisions of Title IX.