Meridith Thorpe

Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Second Year at Iowa Alma Mater: University of Virginia, 1999

Meridith Thorpe is in her second season as an assistant coach for the Iowa field hockey team. She will be looking to help the Hawkeyes improve on their 2007 season, which included the team's second straight Big Ten Tournament championship and a berth to the program's 19th NCAA Tournament.

Before coming to Iowa, Thorpe was an assistant coach at the University of Richmond. Her primary role was developing team strategies and conducting individual on-field work sessions with players. Before joining the coaching staff at Richmond, Thorpe served as the head coach at The Covenant School in Charlottesville, VA.

Prior to her time at The Covenant School, Thorpe was an assistant at her alma mater, the University of Virginia. She was a member of the coaching staff for six seasons helping the Cavaliers advance to the NCAA Tournament twice.

Thorpe was an assistant coach at Ohio State before returning to Virginia. During her two year stay, the Buckeyes spent the entire time in the NFHCA top-20 and reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals both years.

Thorpe served as the head coach of the USFHA in Columbus and as a selector for the Great Lakes Tournament teams in 1999-2000 and in 2008. She was also a National Futures Tournament selector in 2008.

During her playing days, Thorpe had a decorated career. She was a member of the U.S. National team in 1997-1998, participating in Champions Trophy. In addition, Thorpe was co-captain of the U.S. Under-21 team from 1995 to 1997 and in 1994 played for the U.S. Under-18 team. She is also a three-time Olympic Festival participant.

Thorpe holds the career point and career goal records at the University of Virginia and in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with 230 career points and 101 goals.

Thorpe became the first Virginia field hockey player to be named a NFHCA first-team all-American. She was a four-time all-American, including three years as a first team selection. Thorpe was named the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1995. She is one of only three athletes in conference history to be selected to the all-ACC team four years. In 1997, Thorpe was named the University of Virginia's Female Athlete of the Year. She led the Cavaliers to back to back Final Four Appearances and was also named team MVP two years in a row. In 2002, she was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary Team.

Thorpe graduated from the University of Virginia in 1999 with a degree in sociology.