KUTZTOWN, Pa.-- Kutztown head field hockey coach Marci Scheuing guided an elite U18 team to the top of the podium at the AAU Junior Olympics in Iowa City, Iowa earlier this month.

The team brought together some of the nation's top young field hockey athletes to compete against other high-level teams at the event, giving Scheuing an opportunity to coach players from different backgrounds and showcase her coaching at a national level.

"It was a really neat experience," Scheuing said. "I honestly was very proud to represent Kutztown because I feel people in the Midwest haven't necessarily heard of it. It was cool to be out there and to tell everybody about us and our school."

The AAU Junior Olympic Games are known as the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. The event provides athletes with the opportunity to experience an Olympic-like multi-sport competition while building connections and camaraderie through sport.

For Scheuing, coaching athletes who were eager to grow and improve was one of her biggest takeaways.

"It was great to be able to coach younger kids," said Scheuing. They just wanted to learn, and they wanted to get better. They wanted to win. So, they trusted me and did it."

USA Field Hockey selected Scheuing to be a head coach at the event. In addition to Kutztown, she also coaches at Reading-based High Styx Field Hockey Club and obtains a Level 1 certification through USA Field Hockey.

"I've always wanted to get into USA Field Hockey and coaching there," said Scheuing. "This seemed like perfect timing, because it was at the end of summer and right before our KU preseason starts."

Scheuing is no stranger to success at the collegiate level. She led her 2025 team to a school record 20 wins and the program's third consecutive appearance in the NCAA DII national semifinals. The Golden Bears, who have made four national tournament appearances under Scheuing, won their first title in 2023 and finished runner-up in 2024.

Kutztown field hockey opens its 2026 season against Adelphi on Sept. 3 in Garden City, N.Y.