Natalie Ward Verbals to UNC-Chapel Hill

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Natalie Ward of Berkeley Aquatic Club and Senior Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, has given her verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for the 2016-17 season. Ward is a distance freestyle ace who recently nabbed a first-place finish in the 1500m freestyle at the 2015 Futures Championships in Greensboro., North Carolina. Ward also finaled in the 400m freestyle event at that same meet, where she wound up finishing in 5th place.

Below are Ward’s best times:

SCY

200 free – 1:51.03
500 free – 4:52.87
1650 free – 16:40.57

LCM

200 free – 2:06.15
400 free – 4:23.31
800 free – 8:57.95
1500 free – 16:59.19

Of note, Ward’s personal best in the 200y freestyle would have made the C-Final of last year’s ACC Conference Championships, while her personal best in the 1650y would have garnered a 13th place finish overall at the same meet.  Ward also would have finished within the top 30 in the 500y free with her 4:52.87 personal best.

With last year’s ACC runner-up in the 200 free and 500 free, UNC’s Danielle Siverling having graduated, Ward looks to make an immediate impact on the Tarheel program.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email to [email protected].