Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1163127
29 T here was no way Diane Pohl was going to attend the University of Iowa. at was her original thought, anyway. e Cypress, California, native was sought aer by soball powers on the West Coast, but a first-year Hawkeye head coach, Gayle Blevins, convinced Pohl to use one of her official visits to the Hawkeye State. e week aer Pohl visited the University of Hawaii, she was on a plane to the Midwest. "I only agreed to take the trip because Gayle was persistent in recruiting me," said Pohl. "I was on her radar as soon as I was eligible; she recruited me from the day she got to Iowa. I would get a birthday card or a letter saying I had a great game last week. I felt like I at least owed her a trip to Iowa." Pohl fell in love with Iowa City and the small-town feel of a Big Ten Conference campus. She loved the energy and fans. She likened the atmosphere of the men's basketball game she attended in Carver-Hawkeye Arena to that of a Los Angeles Lakers game. "When I got home and got off the plane, my dad said, 'So?'" said Pohl. "I said I actually might go to Iowa. Gayle was the driving reason I became a Hawkeye. She asked if I wanted to be a big fish in a small pond. I wanted to make a difference in the program." Pohl competed for the Hawkeyes from 1989-92. She was a two-time All-American, a three-time all-region, and a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. She was one of seven inductees into the 31st National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame class Aug. 30. "I am so grateful they would consider me for this honor," said Pohl. "It wasn't until they told me how many individuals were (in the Hall of Fame) that it hits you. Of all the people and athletes that have gone through Iowa in administration and coaching, there are only 197 inducted. You realize the magnitude of how special it is." Pohl wasn't your prototypical catcher. When she arrived on campus, Blevins slotted her in the No. 3 hole in the lineup, but that was short-lived. "Midway through the first season, (Blevins) went, 'OK, this isn't working,'" said Pohl. "She moved me to the leadoff spot and that's where I was the rest of my career." Pohl was a right-handed hitter with exceptional speed. She hit .354 during her first season as a Hawkeye, setting program records for hits (83), runs (41), and stolen bases (26). "I was fast," said Pohl. "I did a lot of sneaky bunts and was a base-hit hitter. I never jacked one over the fence, which makes me sad. I didn't have that kind of power. My on-base percentage was great and I always wanted to be the one at the plate if there were runners in scoring position at clutch times, because that's where I thrived." Pohl became Iowa's first National Soball Coaches Association All-America selection during a season where she was voted the team's co-Most Valuable Player. She followed it up with a second All- America nod in 1991 aer hitting .346 with 38 steals and led the Big Ten in seven categories.