Delaware athletes: Caitlin Van Sickle bleeds UNC blue. Tower Hill standout has helped lead the Tar Heels' title-winning field hockey team
For as long as she could remember, there was only one destination for college -- the University of North Carolina.
Caitlin Van Sickle isn't sure how her fascination started with UNC. She just knew. And hoped.
"I loved their basketball team," Van Sickle said. "I was always a Carolina basketball fan from the time I was 8 or 9 years old. I just loved UNC. My parents never knew exactly why. I just did."
Getting the chance to attend Carolina and play on the field hockey team seemed like a long shot until Van Sickle's junior year at Tower Hill.
"I started talking to Coach [Karen] Shelton and realized it was a possibility," Van Sickle said. "It worked out, and I was so happy. I almost didn't believe it. I had the chance to go to the school I always wanted to attend. I told my parents there was no way I was passing it up. So I accepted. It was a total dream come true."
And her field hockey career with the Tar Heels has been one, too.
Van Sickle won an NCAA championship in 2009 and nearly won another title last season before UNC was ousted by Maryland, 3-2, in double overtime in the championship game. The Tar Heels finished 22-3.
It was North Carolina's 13th appearance in the title game and marked the third time in the last four years the Tar Heels had been there.
In 25 games last season, Van Sickle scored 12 goals and added six assists.
"I'm definitely over it, not winning the title," Van Sickle said. "It's still in the back of my mind. It's a motivating factor for me looking ahead to the next season."
Van Sickle recently traveled as part of the U.S. Under-21 field hockey team on a trip to Ireland and Germany. The 18-player roster featured three Tar Heels.
The U.S. team finished 2-1-2. Both ties came against Ireland in Dublin before the team won a pair of games against Germany's junior national team.
"It was a really good experience," Van Sickle said. "It was my first international competition. I got the opportunity to play against international competition, which I wasn't quite as used to."
Van Sickle was a two-time state field hockey player of the year at Tower Hill while playing on three state championship teams from 2005-07. She also excelled in lacrosse and basketball for the Hillers.
Van Sickle is one of several Delawareans on the Carolina squad, which includes forward Drew Hayes (Brandywine), midfielder Katelyn Falgowski (St. Mark's) and forward Meghan Lyons (Tower Hill).
"Field hockey is a year-round sport now, and by July, you're really preparing for next season," Van Sickle said. "I'm going to be playing in summer leagues at UNC, and I'll come back and forth home a little bit. The summer goes really fast, and I'll be going nonstop really once we get to July."
It has been that way since she arrived in Chapel Hill.
"I think we've been very pleasantly surprised because Caitlin's progress has been just tremendous," said Shelton, who is heading into her 31st season with a career record of 504-136-9. She ranks fifth among NCAA coaches in career wins. "She is such a hard worker, and she brings that energy with her every day. She has become a really strong player and continues to get better and better. We're all thrilled with her play and look forward to the future."
Van Sickle is looking forward to her academic future as well. She recently changed her major to communications and loves everything UNC has to offer.
"I knew going to Chapel Hill was going to be fun because I always wanted to go there," Van Sickle said. "I wasn't expecting it to be this amazing. It has been awesome. The campus is amazing. Being an athlete, you get a tutor, advisers -- everything is set in place for you to succeed. I know how lucky I am to be here. It's just great here, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."
ANDY JASNER
