By Zak Cunningham '24

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. --  Natasha Frisch may be a time zone away from her native Minnesota, but the first-year member of the Eastern Connecticut State University women's swim team appears to be right at home – both in and out of the pool.

One of five 'true' freshmen on the team, Frisch chose to continue her swimming career 1,400 miles from her hometown of Mendota Heights, a Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb located in the southeastern area of the state.

Just six meets into her college career, Frisch, 18, has established herself as the team's most proficient breaststroker at all three distances – 50, 100 and 200 yards. Frisch won the 100 breaststroke in her first three attempts this year, and in the team's most recent meet at the Connecticut Cup in early December, she swam the ninth-fastest 100 breaststroke (1:13.80) in program history. Her first-place time of 34.25 in the 50 breaststroke at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational in her only attempt at that distance and her time of 2:45.77 at the Connecticut Cup are also the best times turned in this season by an Eastern swimmer.

In addition to her specialty, Frisch has also posted the third-fastest time by an Eastern swimmer this year in the 100 freestyle in her only attempt at that distance and fifth-best mark in the 50 freestyle.

Already, she has been voted the Little East Conference's Rookie-of-the-Week twice – after the team's season-opening meet Oct. 22 and two weeks later following the UMass Dartmouth Invitational.

Frisch says that ever since the seventh grade – when she first began taking  swimming seriously --  she has been in love with the sport. Even before enrolling at Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights – where she was a team captain and honor roll student -- she has been a varsity-level swimmer.

Being from the midwest, Frisch had to adjust to her new environment on the east coast – which she has done quickly. "I didn't know anyone in the state," she admits. "When I was on my [recruiting] tour, I met [tri-captain Nancy Scanlon], and she was really supportive. Roommate, classmate and teammate Kaitlyn Nielsen "was also a big part of the adjustment; we clicked right away. She's like my family."

Fourth-year Eastern had coach Sarit Gluz describes Frisch as a "student of the sport" and as a very "'cerebral' swimmer."  Based upon Frisch's times in high school, Gluz knew immediately that she was an all-conference level talent at Eastern, but says that it's been Frisch's maturity and all-around commitment that have been more impressive.  "She approaches her schoolwork with the same intensity as her swimming," says Gluz of Frisch, a declared English major.

Aside from swimming, Frisch plans to participate in pole vaulting this upcoming spring for the outdoor track & field team. Beyond athletics, she would also like to create a Hillel group on campus, which she describes as a "welcoming space to learn more about the Jewish religion and experience."  Hillel International, founded in 1923 by Benjamin Franklin and based in Washington, DC, is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world.

And when not studying, training, competing or involved in extracurricular activities,  Frisch also finds time to play the cello.

"Natasha wants to be more than just a swimmer," says Gluz. "She wants to do well, but she also wants to have fun."