Hounds to Cats: Maddie Holtman

Maddie Holtman, Bearcat soccer

By Jacki Wood

This is the second in a series on former Spoofhound athletes who are now Bearcats.

Frequently called townies, a number of former Maryville High School athletes decided to stay in town and continue their academic and athletic careers at Northwest Missouri State University.

Maddie Holtman, daughter of Randy and Susie Holtman, graduated from MHS in 2018. She received All-Region, All-District and All-Conference honors and was an integral member of the Spoofhound soccer team that made it to sectionals in 2017 and 2018.

“I chose Northwest mainly because I was given the chance to play soccer for them, but it was the college I felt most comfortable when I visited, too,” Holtman said. “Bearcat athletics gives you a second family. All the staff is extremely supportive of the athletes and all their enthusiasm, along with the athletes, makes it a fun environment.”

She said playing soccer in college is different because she can focus more on it and not all of the other activities she was involved with in high school.

“I like having the same sport year round because soccer is my favorite,” Holtman said, who plays defender for the Bearcats. “I really enjoy being around the team even when our main season is over. We seem to stick closer together the more we play together and as we cheer other sports on throughout the year.”

Former Spoofhound now Bearcat Maddie Holtman looks for an open teammate during a game last season.

During the season, she said the team typically has practice or games six days a week. A normal non-game day usually consists of classes, workouts in the weight room in the late afternoon and then practice directly following the workouts.

Holtman is currently studying chemistry at Northwest and working toward the chemistry ACS accredited degree. She plans to attend graduate school afterward, and while she hasn’t chosen a future career yet, she has been looking into pediatric physical therapy. She is also involved with the Newman Center on campus.

The youngest of three girls in her family, Holtman is following in her older sisters’ footsteps by playing for the Bearcats.

“My two older sisters also played soccer during their time here at Northwest,” she said. “I’m so glad they did because they showed me it’s possible to be a student-athlete in college.

“Once I started, I realized it wasn’t as easy as they made it look, but they helped me choose my path. And looking back, I wouldn’t have chosen any differently.”

Holtman and the Bearcats kick off the season on September 6 at Drury University in Springfield. You can catch them for their home opener against Sioux Falls on September 13.