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Natalie Charles, a Wisconsin high school state qualifier and member of the class of 2023, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Idaho. She is set to arrive in Moscow ahead of the 2023-2024 season.
I chose the University of Idaho because not only did it have many majors to choose from, including my top two, but it’s also in a great location. The size of the school was exactly what I was looking for, as was the size of the town. On the athletic side of things, the swimmers are super welcoming and the coaches stand out to me in their training and team philosophies! Go vandals!!
Charles currently attends Middletown High School and swims for the Verona Area Swim Team out of Verona, Wisconsin. She primarily swims breaststroke and IM events.
Best Times SCY:
- 100 breast – 1:05.01
- 200 breast – 2:24.24
- 200 IM – 2:07.14
- 400 IM – 4:32.29
At the 2021 Wisconsin Division I (larger schools) State Championships, Charles competed in the 100 breast and 200 IM. She placed 11th overall in both events.
In the 100 breast, her time of 1:05.32 was a season best, coming in just .31 seconds off her personal best from March of 2021. In the 200 IM, she swam a 2:07.48, .34 seconds away from her best time which was set the previous weekend.
In July, Charles competed at the Wisconsin LSC Long Course Championships, earning best times in the 100 free and 200 breast (LCM). In the 200 breast, she dropped nearly 10 seconds, clocking a 2:53.76. She took off .60 seconds, going 1:04.03.
Idaho is a Division I program that competes in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). At the 2022 WAC Championships, the Vandals finished 6th out of 8 teams.
At the 2022 WAC Championships, Charles’s best 100 breast time would have qualified her for the C-final, finishing 18th. Idaho’s top finisher placed 18th in 1:05.07. She would have finished 18th in the 200 IM as well, coming in second for the Vandals.
In addition to Charles, Idaho has received two other commitments from the class of 2023. Both from Oregon, Avery Keinonen specializes in backstroke and IM, while Catherine Hyde is a sprint specialist.
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