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199 L ea ompson's road to becoming a Hawkeye boiled down to hugs over handshakes. e junior middle infielder for the University of Iowa soball team took several college visits when she was a senior at Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis. A trip to Iowa made the biggest impact. "Why I became a Hawkeye was a lot of what you guys did when I was coming on visits," ompson said at a University of Iowa Athletics all-staff meeting Nov. 14. "e atmosphere and the people here are amazing, especially compared to a lot of places I went. "A lot of people I met in this room, I would be coming in to meet for a handshake and you guys would be giving me a hug. at was something that actually stood out; it's a small thing, but it meant a lot." ompson has two seasons and 63 games under her belt as a Hawkeye. A .279 career hitter, she has five extra-base hits, six RBIs, 18 sacrifice hits, and 13 stolen bases. "Getting to live out my dream of playing Division I soball has always been a good time," ompson said. "I love getting to represent the fans, the community, especially who give so much back to us, who are so supportive. at is something that is fun to represent every day." A sport and recreation management major, ompson was named Academic All-Big Ten in May. She completed practicums in June and July with Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres and the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks. Her two weeks with the Padres were spent with seven other University of Iowa students. ey did research and came up with ideas on how the Padres could increase ticket sales. ompson spent nearly a month with the Cedar Rapids Kernels Minor League Baseball team and the Blackhawks. With the Kernels, she helped create a theme night that will be implemented during the 2019 season. With the Blackhawks, she worked on social media campaigns and ran autograph and photograph sessions at the 11th annual Blackhawks Convention from July 27-29. In the summer of 2019, ompson hopes to secure an internship with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. If accepted, ompson would work with either corporate partnerships, marketing, or helping the Miami Dolphins Foundation. "Going into the future, I'm not sure what I want to do, maybe I'll take (University of Iowa Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair) Gary (Barta's) job," ompson said with a smile. "I know I want to work with professional sports teams somehow. I am not sure how yet, but hopefully with these internships, that helps. We'll see where I end up." ere are two seasons le on the soball diamond before ompson becomes a professional. e Hawkeyes have a new head coach, Renee Gillispie, who joins the program aer spending 18 seasons as head coach at Central Florida. "Every athlete would probably say they we dreamed about doing this since they were little," ompson said. "To actually be here and be competing with my teammates has meant a lot. To be able to do it with my parents, who supported me all through high school, and for them to be able to watch me play means a lot…a dream come true. e fan base we have is unique in Iowa compared to a lot of schools I visited. It is how the fans and the community are — the support makes it even more meaningful."