VSN (admin) Published Saturday, January 07, 2023 – 03:30 PM
Mt. Pleasant, IA – January 6, 2023 – The Iowa Wesleyan (IW) athletic department is excited to announce the hiring of Dr. Sofia Adams to serve as the next head women’s soccer coach for the Tigers. Adams will join the Tigers after having various experiences at the club, high school, and collegiate levels.
With a doctorate in naturopathic medicine, Adams will lead the coaching staff after most recently coaching at Mid-Prairie High School, where she was an assistant coach for the boy’s team for the past nine seasons. While at Mid-Prairie, she helped lead them to a Class 1A runner-up finish and three substate finals. Adams also had stints coaching for the Muscatine Soccer Club and served as the head coach for the University of Iowa Women’s Club soccer team for the 2017-18 season.
“We are very excited to have Sofia leading the future of our women’s soccer program. Her personality, authenticity, and passion for soccer make her the right person for this position,” said Vice President for Advancement and Athletics, Derek Zander. “I am confident in her ability to move the team and our program forward.”
Dr. Adams is no stranger to competing against the best as she represented Iowa’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) team for eight years, two of which she represented the Region II ODP team and the US National ODP Pool team during the 2009-2010 season.
As a former NCAA Division I soccer player at Western Illinois University, Adams will have high expectations for the Tigers on the pitch and in the classroom. With a degree in Health and Human Physiology and Health Studies from the University of Iowa and a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the National University of Health Sciences, Dr. Adams is sure to stretch the boundaries for success in many areas.
“I have always had such respect for Iowa Wesleyan, as I have multiple family members who attended the university over the years. I am very much looking forward to the upcoming soccer season and continuing the momentum we had last year,” Adams said. “It is a goal of mine to bring the program to a level of play that year after year we will compete in conference tournaments and give the squad an opportunity to reach national contention.”
The Tigers are coming off their most wins (8) since the 2011 season, finishing 8-8 on the season with a 5th-place finish in the Continental Athletic Conference. The Tigers were led by Isabella Goodson (SO/Live Oak, CA), who led the Tigers in points and goals scored on the year. Jacqueline Campos (SO/Azusa, CA) and Baylee Alvarado (SO/Live Oak, CA) also contributed to the Tigers’ success and are key returners to next year’s roster. Seven women’s soccer players also received NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete recognition; Ayana Lewis (JR/Toronto, Canada), Jacqueline Campos, Ingryd Lima (SO/Fortaleza, Brazil), Baylee Alvarado, Ana Medina-Suazo (SO/San Jose, CA), Laura Rincon (SO/Madrid, Spain), and Ashley York (SO/Euless, TX).
Iowa Wesleyan College Soccer Women’s American Midwest Conference Staff
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