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Tchou's Journey Ends Where It Started By James Allan When Liz Tchou stepped on to the field inside Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 15 during the Iowa Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame weekend, she returned to the venue where she became one of the University of Iowa field hockey greats. "I am honored," said Tchou prior to her induction. "I don't think it is going to sink in until I get there. I wouldn't have accom- plished everything without my parents. They sacrificed so much for me, and I really appreciate that." Tchou had ambitions of playing in college and beyond as a prep standout at Shawnee High School in New Jersey. It was during an exhibition match between the U.S. National Team and the club team Red Rose that she first laid out her aspirations. "It was a night game, and Team USA was giving out posters and signing autographs," said Tchou. "I remember looking out, and my dad said, 'What do you think?' I said, 'I want to wear that uniform.' "From that moment, I was pursuing a good school. I didn't want to go to a school that had already won championships. I wanted to go somewhere that was on the brink, and at the time, Iowa was one of those programs that had kept getting better. " Tchou entered an Iowa program that shared the Big Ten regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight the year prior to her arrival. During Tchou's first season in 1984, Iowa made its first Final Four, finishing as the NCAA runner-up. Aſter playing in NCAA regionals as a sophomore, Tchou guided the Hawkeyes to the NCAA title in 1986 and to their third Final Four as a senior. In her four years, she helped Iowa to four NCAA tournament appearances, two Big Ten regular season titles and two Big Ten runner-up finishes. The squad went 72-18-7 during her time as a Hawkeye. "I remember my freshmen year was the first year we made the Final Four as a program," said Tchou. "All I could think about was the players before me that paved the way for us to be where we were at during that moment. 37 "I remember talking to people who had just graduated -- Donna Lee, Ellen Egan. They were the ones that worked hard and brought a lot of notoriety to our program. The year I got there, we were poised to win." Tchou concluded her Hawkeye playing career as a National Field Hockey Coaches Association first team All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 1987. She was also a two-time Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, a nominee for the Honda- Broderick Sports Award, and a four-time first team all-conference and three-time all-region honoree. Tchou went on to achieve her goal of donning the red, white and blue. She competed for the U.S. National Team for seven years and capped off her career by playing in the 1996 Olympics. "Ever since high school I wanted to get there, and I didn't care how long it was going to take, bloomer that didn't make the Olympic team until I was 31." During her Olympic run in Atlanta, Tchou cherished the oppor- tunity to compete alongside three other Hawkeyes -- Kris Fillat, Marcia Pankratz and Andrea Wieland. She was also coached by Madison, the former UI assistant that spearheaded her recruit- ment. "It was amazing," said Tchou, who now works as the U.S. Field Hockey youth development manager. "I can't tell you how much I respect all the Hawks that followed me. We all had the same aspi- rations and always talked about teamwork and chemistry. We all went through and learned so much at Iowa, and it carried through in helping us make the next level. " When Tchou took her stroll to midfield at Kinnick, it completed her Hawkeye journey. "I am honored to be a part of the Iowa athletics program," she said. "It was fitting for me to be able to come back and see a foot- ball game inside Kinnick Stadium." " said Tchou. "I was kind of a late