Loyola Alumni Nate Van Zelst... Hard Work Pays Off on the Field and in Classroom

Nerves? There's no such thing. Some call it ice in veins, others say he's calm, cool and collected. But Nate Van Zelst will say it's his job.

He's the placekicker for the Wisconsin Badgers. He didn't get to sporting Red and White though, without the Maroon and Gold.

From a very young age, Van Zelst had two goals: play at the highest level football program, and play at a university that offered the best business school program. That's why the local graduate had big dreams, and an even bigger worth ethic.

Van Zelst grew up in Glenview, where he honed in on his love for kicking in 5th grade. Back then, it was a position no one else wanted to try, so he did. And he did it well. It was when he played on varsity as a freshman at Loyola Academy that he stepped up to the extra point line. He kicked for the Ramblers during three Class 8A Illinois State High School championship games. In his high school years , the kicker was All-American and set two school records. He currently holds the IHSA state record for most field goals during a title game.

It was after that, the kicker had to make a big decision. Where would he go to college? Well, the offers didn't fall short, in fact there were many. But Van Zelst decided he would do what his heart was telling him. He believed in himself, and accepted a kicker position offer at the University of Wisconsin.

Camp Randall quickly became his field of dreams. The red-shirt freshman jabbed in his first PAT kick against New Mexico. When the UWBadger.com senior writer Mike Lucas asked if he was nervous, he said, "Nope. I just felt like myself. I've been doing it my whole life."

He'd go on to be perfect on 10 kicks in his debut.

As the season went on, Van Zelst kicked 35 for 35 PAT's, and was 11 for 14 field goals. A stat any midwestern kicker will know comes with a battle against 50 mile per hour wind gusts, driving rain, snow and sleet.

In a fight against Mother Nature, Van Zelst beat all odds. And his coaches noticed. He was awarded "Special Teams Player of the Year."

His success continued off the gridiron, and into the classroom. Van Zelst was one of 57 fall honorees (men and women) in the NCAA Big 10 to maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA. He's studying Finance, Investment and Banking.

Van Zelst's work ethic and dedication put him where he is. But perhaps the biggest investment the athlete made is the one in himself. So there's still a lot more ahead for the local student-athlete...and those odds are looking pretty good.