In America you can study and play many different sports. Also this season we keep an eye on our Dutch toppers, who are ready to shine. In this article we highlight a number of athletes who we expect to make great strides and impress in this Spring season. Wondering who these are? Read on quickly!
Joska Nelis
Sports: Women’s Golf
School: Murray State University
Year: Sophomore
Division/Conference: NCAA Division I / Missouri Valley Conference
Joska Nelis made the move from JUCO to NCAA Division I this winter and will now play for Murray State University. A huge step, but one that completely fits her impressive development of the past few years. At her Indian Hills Community College, Joska showed time and again that she was among the absolute best. She was named NJCAA DI Women’s Golf All-Region 11 First-Team, was Athlete of the Week no less than seven times and picked up three individual tournament victories. With the lowest average round score on her team, she was a true leader on the course.
Joy van Loon
Sports: Men’s Water Polo
School: Ottawa University Arizona
Year: Grad student
Division/Conference: NAIA/SAC Conference
Joy van Loon is a versatile and experienced water polo player who developed at several clubs in the Netherlands, while also being active in the Eredivisie. His talent was noticed at an early age: at the age of eleven, Joy was selected for WOC training and later participated in selection training for the Dutch Youth National Teams. Although he narrowly missed the final selections, these experiences at the highest level played a major role in his development as an athlete. Now Joy is continuing his career at Ottawa University Arizona, where he will have another opportunity to compete against strong opponents in the NAIA.
Bibi van ‘t Veld
Sports: Women’s Track & Field
School: North Central Texas College
Year: Freshman
Division/Conference: NJCAA Division I / NTJCAC
Bibi van ‘t Veld is in her first year at North Central Texas College. In the Netherlands, she already showed great speed and competitive toughness. Her achievements do not lie: two national U20 titles with the relay, a bronze medal at the Dutch senior championships and several finals at national youth tournaments. She also managed to compete strongly individually, including fifth place in the 400m indoor at U20. With this strong foundation, expectations are high for her first season in the NJCAA.
Evie de Roos
Sports: Women’s Track & Field / Cross Country
School: Converse University
Year: Freshman
Division/Conference: NCAA Division II / Conference Carolinas
Active in athletics from a young age, Evie de Roos has had an impressive road. In the Netherlands, she was structurally among the top in her age category, including a 7th place at the U20 1500m NK and a 15th place at the senior NK, both as a freshman U20. She also took silver at the NK relay and helped her team to promotion to the highest national division. After years in high-performance training groups, Evie is now ready for her next step at Converse University.
In preparation for the NK Juniors 2025 we spoke to Evie in Hilversum about the championship and her outlook on her American adventure.
Of course, these are not the only Dutch student-athletes who will shine in America next semester. There are many more top athletes ready to show their talent. So follow our socials to not miss any of our athletes’ achievements!
Would you like to experience the combination of sport and study in America yourself? Then fill in our application form and we will contact you to discuss your possibilities.
