IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa soccer team announced this week that 12 student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to join the Hawkeye program in 2023.
“This group of student athletes have everything we look for when adding to our culture and team at the University of Iowa,” says head coach Dave DiIanni. “They have all had a great deal of success as individuals and are impactful members of the teams they currently play with. The expectation of this class is very high, as both individuals and soccer players.
They are a group of women who thrive on working hard with a blue-collar mentality and hate to lose at anything they do. We look forward to observing how they can influence, help drive and be accountable within our team culture to create a standard that is of a championship level for the Hawkeyes.”
Sofia Bush
Marion, Iowa
(Linn-Mar High School)
High School – First team All-State as a junior at Linn-Mar High School in 2022… set school records for goals (25) and assists (22) last season… all-conference honors as a sophomore… has played two seasons with Sporting Iowa ECNL… State Cup winners in 2021… ECNL Midwest All-Conference Team, 2021-22… ECNL National Selection Game participant in 2021… USYS ODP National Training Camp in 2020… Academic Honors with Distinction… National Honors Society.
Coach DiIanni on Bush:
“Sofia was a very important player for us to sign at the University of Iowa. First off, she’s a local girl from just down the road in Linn-Mar who has come to Iowa Soccer camps since she was in seventh grade. Secondly, she has a passion to improve as a player that isn’t often woven into someone’s DNA. Sofia is a player who will commit to getting better every day because she doesn’t know how to succeed any other way.”
Kearstyn Gladden
Acworth, Georgia
(Etowah High School)
High School – 2022 National Selection Game… 2022 Florida Showcase… invited to YNT Camp for U.S. Women’s Soccer… four-year Honor Roll student… earned Academic Letter junior year… awarded Lamp of Knowledge as a senior… National Honors Society.
Coach DiIanni on Gladden:
“Kearstyn is an incredible athlete who can play both inside and out in the backline as a defender. Her simple, composed passing, strength in the air and strong one-on-one defending presence will help her compete for minutes immediately next fall. Kearstyn will be an early enrollee this spring, so it will be very exciting to see her growth occur at a fast rate in preparation of the fall season.”
Sammi Glover
Rochester, Michigan
(Rochester High School)
High School – National Soccer Club… Nationals Girls 05 Blue Academy… Honor Roll student… National Honors Society… Math National Honors Society.
Coach DiIanni on Glover:
“Sammi is a defender who can play both outside and central. She has an engine that allows her to get up and down the field in the attack and defending in space with one-on-one situations. She has a great passion to grow as a player, especially within the last year, and has improved areas of her game that will give her an immediate opportunity to compete for minutes at Iowa.”
Millie Greer
Scottsdale, Arizona
(Mountain Pointe High School)
High School – Competed nine years with Phoenix Rising FC Youth, including five seasons as team captain… back-to-back ECNL Southwest All-Conference First Team in 2021 and 2022… National Honors Society and Honor Roll student.
Coach DiIanni on Greer:
“Millie is one of the more versatile soccer players I have recruited. She has spent most of her career as a center midfielder, but we will look for her to potentially fill a role as a center back next year. Millie is a composed, technical passer, who can dribble penetrate or play a longer pass accurately in the air. She is another player who is exceptional in the air in winning battles, and her soccer IQ allows her to read the game and help communicate its needs to her teammates.”
Emma Hampton
Urbandale, Iowa
(Johnston High School)
High School – First team All-District and all-conference as a junior at Johnston High School… 21 goals with 51.2 shot on goal percentage in 20222… all-conference honorable mention as a sophomore with 12 goals on the season… freshman season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic… ECNL Sporting Iowa for 12 seasons…. three-time State Cup champions… four-year varsity letter-winner in basketball, winning two State Championships… All-Academic Award all four years of high school.
Coach DiIanni on Hampton:
“Emma is another strong player from the state of Iowa and we are ecstatic to be able to keep home and join the Hawkeye family. Emma is a transitioned center back from a forward, who has a high soccer IQ, a very composed passer out of the back and strong in the air on set pieces and crosses.”
Ava Kenaan
Macomb, Michigan
(Dakota High School)
High School – Club soccer with National Girls Academy Blue.
Coach DiIanni on Kenaan:
“Ava is a forward who can play across the frontline next year. She is a natural goal scorer who has soft feet and shows composure in the box. Her change of speed and explosiveness gives her the ability to separate from defenders in the attack but also lead the frontline in the defending press.”
Sophie Kinciad
Colorado Springs, Colorado
(Rampart High School)
High School – First team All-State with 11 goals and 2.9 points per game as a junior… first team All-League with 18 goals and 3.4 points per game as a sophomore… competed with Pride Soccer ECNL for four seasons… ECNL All-Conference Team Northwest in 2021 and 2022… YNT Regional ID prospect for Denver in 2021… ECNL Texas Conference Selection Program in 2020 and ID Player to Watch in 2019 and 2020… Dean’s List in 2019… Honor Roll student in 2020 and 2021.
Coach DiIanni on Kincaid:
“Sophie is a fast and powerful forward who can get in behind the backline quickly but also create her own space off the dribble and be a threat to score whenever she has the ball in the final third. Her engine to run and compete will be a natural characteristic for us when we want press from the front line and help chase the game. Sophie has a relentless work ethic that will be infectious to those around her.”
Sonya Mehta
Alberta, Canada (Edmonton)
(Burnaby Central Secondary High School)
High School – Competed for two seasons with Whitecaps Elite Canadian National Development Center in Vancouver, Canada… broad list for Canada U17 women’s soccer… represented Alberta at Canada Summer Games in 2022… British Columbia League 1 team champions… Canada Soccer Regional Excellence program player in 2020… invitation as trialist for SuperRex High Performance Player at Whitecaps Girls Elite National Development Center… Alberta provincial team player and captain in 2019… City Champion for Varsity High School Soccer in 2018 and 2019… Honors with Distinction through three years of high school… lone recipient of Grade Nine IB Award for top academics and athletics… Principal’s Award in 11th grade… Top Merit Award for Composition English 11.
Coach DiIanni on Mehta:
“Sonya is a creative and very technical center-mid who can transition and play as a six or an eight next year for us. She has spent the last two years living away from her family, training and playing in the very competitive and challenging Vancouver Whitecaps program in Canada. Tactically, Sonya is very far along in the understanding of how to play within systems, and that will help her make the adjustment to the Big Ten much easier next fall.”
Eva Pattison
Chicago, Illinois
(Loyola Academy)
High School – Competed for Eclipse Select ECNL from 2019-22… ECNL All-Conference as a sophomore.
Coach DiIanni on Pattison:
“She is a blue collar, hardworking, athletic defender who loves to play the game with a passion to improve and compete at the highest level possible. Eva is motivated by not losing much more than the joys of winning. She is a strong one-on-one defender who will make us a better team with her aerial presence on set pieces.”
Abby Skiff
Rochester, Michigan
(Rochester Adams High School)
High School – GA Talent ID Event for Mid-America Conference in Indianapolis, 2022… Nationals GA 05 Blue Team captain… ranked No. 19 in the Great Lakes Region by TopDrawerSoccer as a junior… GAAP We The Player Team representative for Nationals 05… invited to US Soccer YNT Identification Camp 2019-20… Honor Roll all four years of high school.
Coach DiIanni on Skiff:
“Abby is an individual who makes those around her better in all areas of life. She is a midfielder who can play in an attacking space but also as a holding pivot player who wins tackles, connects passe, and can beat you off the dribble. Abby will be someone who comes to practice every day to get better and invest the energy needed to succeed.”
Erika Smiley
Aurora, Illinois
(Oswego East High School)
High School – Named team captain heading into 2023 season… started every game last season as a junior, ranking second on the team in scoring (0.7 goals per game) and assists (0.5 assists per game)… Chicagoland Soccer All-State in 2022, along with All-Sectional, All-Area and All-Conference… Chicagoland Soccer MVP and Prep Soccer Illinois Standout as a junior… earned All-Area, All-Conference and Team MVP honors as a sophomore… started every game during shortened sophomore season due to COVID-19 pandemic… led team with 1.2 goals per game as a sophomore, also ranking second in assists per game (0.7)… freshman season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic… led high school team to 3A Regional Championship and 3A Sectional Semifinals in 2022, as well as 3A Regional Finals in 2021 (season canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic)… first team in school history to win regional championship or finish conference season undefeated… National Honor Society… Science National Honor Society… High Honor Roll… 4.0 GPA every semester.
Coach DiIanni on Smiley:
“Erika is a left-footed player who can play as a defender or midfielder in a few different systems. She is comfortable taking you off the dribble but can also be a good connecting player within the game. We look forward to watching Erika compete for minutes next year.”
Kiera Smyser
St. Louis, Missouri
(Cor Jesu Academy)
High School – Plays high school soccer for Cor Jesu Academy and club with St. Louis Scott Gallagher… high school team earned MHSAA Class 5A Sectional Championship in 2021… named MHSAA All-Conference as a junior… club team earned ECNL Midwest Conference Championship at U-14, U-15 and U-16 level… earned High Honors, academically, each year of high school… National Merit Commended… National Honors Society.
Coach DiIanni on Smyser:
“Kira comes to us from a club we are very familiar with in Scott Gallagher out of St. Louis. The same club Samantha Cary came from, and there are similarities in their game. Both are left footed, but more importantly they are athletic, competitive and driven soccer players who love to attack in space and take players on in one-on-one situations. Keira can be incredibly dangerous in the width a service that both is textured and played with the right pace. She will compete for playing time as a defender and forward next fall.”