Dominic Simonetta
Contributing Writer
Sophomore Natalie Przybylski has been swimming and diving for North Central College over the last two years and last month she managed to set two separate NCC diving records.
The Elk Grove Village native competed in the Wheaton/Carthage dual meet where she collected 193.30 points in the 1-meter dive as well as 176.75 points in the 3-meter dive.
This month, Przybylski broke those very same records once again and re-set her scores at an even higher level. During the team’s meet at Wheaton College, she produced 218.22 points in her 1-meter dive and 185.05 points in her 3-meter dive.
“This accomplishment means a lot to me because I also managed to do this in high school, and it shows me that hard work really pays off,” said Przybylski.
Hard work is what she acknowledges as being essential for success in both swimming and diving.
“Practicing is really important when it comes to diving. If you don’t practice, you simply aren’t going to perform well,” Przybylski said. “Diving is a lot of repetition. When you don’t practice, bad habits start reappearing and it takes a lot of work to get rid of them.”
Aside from her personal work ethic, two people in particular have also contributed to the type of diver Przybylski is today.
“My high school swimming coach, Dave Toler, and my diving coach, Tom,” said Przybylski. “Dave first introduced me to the sport and Tom has been coaching me for the past four years and really pushes me hard,” said Przybylski. “He trains you not only physically but also mentally, which is really important.”
Mark Broucek, head men’s and women’s swimming coach, feels Przybylski has brought a lot to the team so far this season.
“Natalie is a great addition to the team,” said Broucek. “Since she has to dive off campus, we don’t see her as much as the rest of the team. That has been a problem in the past with other divers, but Nat fits right in.”
Now while diving may take a lot of physical strength, mental strength is what allows Przybylski to strive even harder to continue accomplishing as much as she possibly can.
“I have a lot of determination in me to push myself to be the best that I can be. My ultimate goal in this sport is to go to nationals and to become an All-American,” Przybylski said.
With these high aspirations in mind, Przybylski isn’t setting any limits on what she and her team can attain as the season progresses.
“So far, the swim team as a whole is doing great,” Przybylski said. “Personally, my goal for the season is to finish top five at conference.”
With the women’s swimming and diving team competing for the CCIW Championships this month, expect the team and Przybylski to be at the top of their game.
