When Dr. Jennifer Sterling of the Department of American Studies and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication took on the role of curator for the Main Library Gallery’s fall 2024 exhibition, Hawkeye Histories | Sporting Stories, she knew she’d have over a century of material to sort through to tell the story of athletics at Iowa. She was also aware that some of the materials she sought—items with their histories still unfolding—would need to be borrowed from their owners.
One of these loaned items is a piece of recent sporting history: Samantha Cary’s soccer jersey. In January 2024, Cary became the first Hawkeye to be drafted to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), joining Racing Louisville before moving to a top Swedish soccer club. While at Iowa, the all-time minutes leader was also awarded the honor of Scholar All-American for her academic performance.
Early in the curation process, Sterling knew she’d like to include the jersey, which she says provided an opportunity to expand on the stories of Iowa players recruited to professional leagues.
In the Q&A below, Cary discusses the transition from Iowa to life as a professional athlete and offers a glimpse of Hawkeye history from one of its recent stars.
What was the journey from Iowa to Kentucky to Sweden like?
The past year has been an absolute whirlwind in the best possible way. After leaving Iowa and graduating I knew I always wanted to continue my career by playing pro. I entered my name in the NWSL draft and was fortunate enough to be the first Hawkeye drafted by Racing Louisville. I spent the next two months training and playing in Louisville in the NWSL, which was a dream come true. But then I was given the opportunity to sign a contract overseas in Sweden’s top division. This was a hard decision to make, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to travel the world and experience soccer overseas. So in March 2024 I moved to Sweden and have had a dream of a rookie year as a pro.
What are a couple of your favorite stories about your time playing for Iowa?
Playing at Iowa was one of the best experiences of my life. I have had so many highs, such as winning two Big Ten tournament titles and making it to three NCAA tournaments. But my favorite stories are the ones in the locker room and behind the scenes. I will always cherish the relationships I built with the staff in our weekly “Coffee with Cary” check-ins. I will never forget the 2021 season and working as a group to turn an 0-7-1 start into the first Big Ten Title. And I will never forget the laughs and dance parties in the locker room before games to get us excited and ready to go.
How did your experience at Iowa prepare you for Louisville and Sweden?
Playing at Iowa is the reason that I am a pro. It was the coaches and staff who were the first people to truly believe that being a pro was a possibility for me, and they pushed me every day to make it a reality. The team and the program knew my dream of being a pro and helped rally around it, not only challenging me to be a better player, but to help me grow my mind and my habits to lead me to a successful pro career.
How do you feel about being Iowa’s first NWSL draftee? Why was this important for you, and for the Hawkeyes?
Being Iowa’s first draftee is something I am beyond proud of, but I know that it is due to the village that helped support me through my five-year Iowa career. Being challenged, pushed, and supported everyday by the Hawkeye community is the reason I was able to achieve this feat. This is extremely important to me, however, because of the recognition it allowed Iowa to have in the soccer community nationally. The Iowa program is often undeservedly an underdog in the soccer community, and being drafted was a way to shine a much-needed light on the Iowa program.
What did you think when Sterling reached out about including your jersey in the exhibition?
I was super thankful when [Sterling] reached out about my jersey being featured in this exhibition because the history of Iowa’s women’s sports is so special and rich, and the soccer program has earned a right to be a part of that history. By being included in this exhibit it will help cement the impact the Iowa soccer program has had on the university and highlight one small accomplishment out of so many.
According to Sterling, these items form an integral part of Hawkeye Histories and remind visitors that current events will become histories too, gaining new resonance in the future. “It’s exceptionally important to continue to track recent histories and collect related materials for future research,” says Sterling.
To see Cary’s jersey and other Hawkeye Histories up close, visit the Main Library Gallery during the fall 2024 semester.