Natalie Schick Verbally Commits to Join Rutgers’ Backstroke Tradition

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Wisconsin native Natalie Schick has verbally committed to Rutgers University as part of their class of 2025. Schick swims for the Badger Aquatic Club and West High School in Madison, Wisconsin.

Last season, as a junior, Schick won the 100-yard backstroke at the Wisconsin High School Sectional Championships in Beloit – the top sub-state level in Wisconsin high school swimming. Even though she placed just 5th in the 100 fly at that meet, at the State Championship Meet she actually finished higher in the 100 fly – 9th – than in the 100 back – 11th.

None-the-less, she projects to be a backstroker at the next level. Her lone Futures Championships cut is in the 200 yard back, which she swam at the Wisconsin LSC Championship in March, shortly before the coronavirus shutdown.

Best Times in Yards:

• 50 free – 25.14
• 100 free – 53.40
• 100 back – 55.99
• 200 back – 2:04.19
• 100 fly – 57.03

That falls right into the historical strength of the program. Their most recent NCAA Championship swimmer, Vera Koprivova in 2019, was a backstroker. She finished 17th in the 200 back at the 2019 NCAA Championships, just .01 seconds away from making the B-final.

Rutgers finished 11th out of 13 teams at the 2020 Big Ten Championship meet. At that meet, sophomore Tereza Grusova finished 2nd in the 100 back in 52.31, which was the team’s highest finisher of the entire meet.

Schick joins Russian swimmer Valeria Bashaeva as announced members of Rutgers’ class of 2021.

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