Austin Ladd has no regrets about becoming a Hawkeye, even though he had to sacrifice being in a state that loves hockey.

The Southbury, Conn., native made the decision to move more than 1,000 miles away after watching his two older brothers leave for the Midwest.

“I knew I wanted to stay involved with it, but at the same time, I wasn’t trying to go to a school where hockey was the No. 1 thing to do,” he said.

He picked up the sport when he was 4 and continued throughout high school. He played as a defenseman while at the Salisbury School, an all-boys private prep institute known for its strong athletics program. He was an all-around athlete, playing soccer and lacrosse, too.

But Ladd decided a professional athletics career wasn’t a realistic goal.

“I figured, I’d rather just go to college to go to college,” he said. “Regardless of what sport I wanted to play, there was no future with it.”

Luckily, he found a place in the hockey club at Iowa and immediately made friends. Over the next couple years, he helped the team see a few firsts as a player, but then he left the ice to become club president.

The Ice Hawks had one of their strongest seasons last year, going 26-10-2 to finish first in their division. During that time, Ladd had completed his first full year as club president after taking helm at the end of his sophomore year.

“I was hesitant to kind of take it on,” he said. “I’m in charge of this nonprofit organization, which is a huge responsibility to be put in as a 19-year-old. At the same time, I learned more in those first few months as being president than I did in 19 years of living.”

As president, Ladd focuses on the logistics of keeping the team running through fundraising, scheduling games, and making travel arrangements. It all adds up to 40 hours of work during peak planning weeks in August. That can recede to 10-15 during the school year, when the team plays a couple times a week.

However, his leadership and dedication to the team are indicative of the person he is.

“He really wants to make strides for the program,” said Travis Jargo, Ladd’s roommate of three years. “For himself, not only for this year but from here on out, just keep making more and more improvements for the club team. I guess that’s just his dedication and passion for the team, the university, and the sport.”

Now a senior, the business major is bracing for the future. He’s focusing on school and trying to get a job once he graduates with a degree in management and finance in the spring.

Ice Hawks head coach Nick White is searching for someone to replace Ladd next year.

It won’t be easy.

“He’s going to leave a big hole,” White said. “It’s going to be hard. Hopefully, we can at least maintain the same level [we’re at] for the next year until we find someone that’s willing to step up and do what he did.”