Big Ten Senior Spotlight: Rachael Dzierzak of Ohio State University

Editor’s note: I am using Ohio State University instead of THE Ohio State University in the title because otherwise the title is too long for our parameters!

It’s not every day you find a swimmer who is proficient as a breaststroker and as a sprint freestyler, but that is exactly the package you get when you look at The Ohio State’s Rachael Dzierzak. An in-state product out of Perrysburg, Ohio, Dzierzak has been one of the most exciting swimmers to watch develop over the past three years in the Big Ten, and she will be one of the most important sprint pieces for OSU come next Tuesday when this year’s Conference Championships kick off.

Before arriving in Columbus, Dzierzak experienced a great deal of success while swimming for Notre Dame Academy in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference. During her tenure with the Eagles, Dzierzak earned all-league, all-city, and all-state honors each of the four years she competed, and it also worthwhile to mention that she was a Varsity letter-winner in Softball as well.

As a freshman, Dzierzak would compete in the 200 IM (2:05.38, 63rd), 100 breast (1:03.45, 1:02.55 in prelims, 16th), and the 200 breast (2:20.78, 36th) at the 2013 Big Ten Championships. All three of those swims demolished her previous bests, and she would find herself with the second-fastest 100 breast and fifth-fastest 200 breast on the team for the year.

Returning to the Conference Championships as a sophomore, Dzierzak would play a bigger role in the Buckeyes’ scoring efforts. Individually, she competed in the 50 free (23.15, 28th), 100 free (50.71, 37th), and 100 breast (1:02.02, 12th), and she also provided a leg on OSU’s 200 free relay that would take 5th in a 1:29.97. For the second year in a row, Dzierzak left Big Tens after having set personal bests in all of her individual events, and she was not about to slow down in the second half of her NCAA career.

After two very strong Championship Seasons with the Buckeyes, Rachael really made a statement during her Junior campaign. At the 2015 Big Ten Championships, she blew away all of her personal bests with finishes of 21st in the 50 free (23.13, 22.94 in prelims), 24th in the 100 free (50.17), and 2nd in the 100 breast (59.61). Her 100 breast time represented the first time that a Buckeye had ever dipped under a minute, and she also absolutely crushed the previous school record time of 1:01.04 from 2010.

Dzierzak was equally impressive in her efforts on relays, and she swam legs on OSU’s 200 free relay (1:29.41, 4th), 400 medley relay (3:34.10, 3rd), and 400 free relay (3:17.06, 6th). Notably, the 200 free relay established a new school record as well, cutting over a half-second off the previous record of 1:29.96 from 2012.

With her performances at Big Tens, Dzierzak would receive an opportunity to compete at the NCAA Championships the following month in Greensboro, North Carolina. She would take 19th in the 100 breast (1:00.08), while also helping the Buckeyes take 19th in the 200 free relay (1:29.13), 20th in the 400 medley relay (3:34.65), and 27th in the 400 free relay (3:18.55). The team’s performance in the 200 free relay clipped just over a quarter second off the recently set team record that had been established at the Conference Championships.

The type of progression that Ohio State’s Rachael Dzierzak has made during her NCAA career is extremely rare, and given her ability to constantly deliver in the clutch when her team needs her most, it would surprise no one if she got her hands on the event title in the 100 breast this time around. Of course it will not be easy for the Ohio native, but as Dzierzak has never backed away from a challenge while donning the Scarlet and Grey, anything is possible for the senior when the Conference Championships kick off next week. Look for her to be a significant contributor both individually and opn relays for OSU in Ann Arbor.

Best Times (SCY/LCM):
50 Free: 22.94/25.94
100 Free: 50.17/57.75
100 Breast: 59.61*/1:12.22
200 Breast: 2:20.44/2:43.20
200 IM: 2:05.26/2:28.14
200 Free Relay: 1:29.41*

*Denotes school record

School Major/Degree: Majoring in Architecture and Minoring in General Business
Favorite Event: 100 Breaststroke
Favorite Hobby: Trying new things like a stained glass class this year, but a good jigsaw puzzle is always fun.
Favorite Movie: Employee of the Month
Person You’d Like to Meet: Rem Koolhaas
Favorite Meal: Nachos

At what age did you become involved with swimming? How did you get into it?

I began swimming when I was about 3 years old. I have a sister that is two years older than me. She started on a swim team at a young age, so of course I wanted to be on the team too.

What is your favorite collegiate swimming memory and why? 

My favorite collegiate swimming memory goes back to freshman year in the dorms; some of our rooms were on the first floor. We had people that would come back super late and play the piano right outside our doors in the lobby. One morning we had enough and before we left for practice at about 5:30am, all of the freshmen girl swimmers came to our first floor hallway and we did our Buckeyes Cheer…OOOOOOOOO! B-U-C-K-E-Y-E-S LET’S GO BUCKS. I honestly think it was the loudest we have ever done that cheer. Let’s just say they never messed with the swimmers again late at night.

You had a breakout Championship season last year with your 100 Breast at Big Tens establishing a new school record and also qualifying you for NCAAs. Can you describe what it was like to get that record and what allowed you to drop so much time last year specifically?

It was so exciting! It was a long time in the making though. My coach always told me that I have no talent, which definitely hurt the first time hearing it. He would also say that I was one of the hardest workers and had a big heart. I always give it my all and finally my hard work is starting to pay off. Going back to that day at Big Ten’s, I do not remember the race, but my teammates that helped me get there, especially, my training partners that pushed me.

What were your biggest takeaways from your NCAA debut last year?

I was really nervous at NCAAs last year. I felt that I did not fit in there with all of the world class swimmers. I have never been on a national team or even have an American Olympic Trial Cut. I felt out of place. My biggest takeaway was that I had my mind all wrong. I did deserve to be there and I earned my spot like everyone else that was there. I cannot wait for NCAAs this year. It is an amazing meet to watch and participate in. I am excited to do it all over again.

The Buckeyes only have 4 seniors on their roster for the 2015-16 season. With 6 freshman and 12 sophomores on the team, do you feel like there any advantages to having such a young team in comparison to some other teams in the Big Ten?

There are definitely advantages to having a young team. They have more years of eligibility to improve and learn what it takes to be great. When looking at our senior class, they have become my best friends. When a class size dwindles, you find the swimmer with the strongest minds. These are the people a team needs to learn from if they want to be great. If you look at the four of us, we are all very different majors, events, and even personalities. We are striving for an uncommon team.

What/who do you think has been the single most important catalyst to your swimming career?

I would have to say the idea of support. My parents come to every swim meet no matter how far or who it is against. My siblings are always there for me. Reanna and Adam listen to me complain and help me on my baddest of days. My roommates make me smile and celebrate our achievement. My coach let me miss Monday, Wednesday, and Friday practices and still believes in me. My teacher let me miss classes and helps me make up the work. I am thankful that they do not lower their standard just because I am an athlete. All of my coaches in the past no matter what sport they cheer me on. Finally the Buckeye community, because you can go anywhere in the world and yell O-H…and someone will always responds I-O!

Do you have any plans/commitments following the completion of your collegiate career?

I am graduating in May of 2016, going on a trip to Hawaii with my best friend I met through OSU swimming, possibly trials, graduate school, then hopefully finding an architecture job in the real world.

What should we look forward to from Ohio State as a whole at this year’s Big Ten Championships?

Well Big Ten’s is at our rival school up north, so we will definitely be coming strong. I am excited to see a lot my teammate’s race. We have had a lot of people step up this past weekend and our relays are strong. There will not be many surprises to us, but there are three girls that I can think of that are going to outright surprise the Big Ten.