IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa student-athletes Anthe Nijziel (field hockey) and Alex Schaake (men’s golf) were named April’s Student-Athletes of the Month. The University of Iowa Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) made the announcement Wednesday.
Nijziel, a junior defender from Eindhoven, Netherlands, was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Hawkeye in program history to win both awards in the same season.
Nijziel, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, scored two goals and registered three assists to total seven points, while being an integral part of Iowa’s defense that recorded eight shutouts and only 14 goals allowed in 18 games.
No. 4 Iowa posted a 10-4 regular-season record, before advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in school history. Iowa fell in the Final Four, 3-0, to eventual national champion and top-ranked North Carolina to finish the spring 2021 season 12-6.
Schaake, a redshirt senior from Omaha, Nebraska, finished top five in Iowa’s last four tournaments, including a first-place finish at the Hawkeye Invitational for the second straight season and a runner-up finish at the Robert Kepler intercollegiate and the Big Ten Championships. Competing against some of the top collegiate golfers at the Calusa Cup, Schaake tied for fifth.
Schaake is currently ranked 11th in the PGA TOUR University Rankings.
Coming off a runner-up finish as a team at the Big Ten Championships, the Iowa golf team is currently competing at NCAA Regionals in Cle Elum, Washington.
