Natalie Wojcik and Wolverines gymnastics seeking back-to-back titles
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (BVM) 鈥� A way to describe Natalie Wojcik鈥檚 gymnastics career would be simplest in one word: dominant.
Growing up in Douglassville, Pennsylvania, Wojcik loved competing. She started gymnastics when she was 3 years old and also tried out other sports such as soccer, dance, and swimming.
While Wojcik did well in the other sports she tried, she starred in gymnastics and quickly began to eliminate the other sports to have a greater focus on it.
Before embarking on a college career, Wojcik competed at the club level. Success quickly followed as she was showered with awards, accolades and titles. She competed in the Junior Olympics, was a winner of 15 state championships, and was a state, regional, and national champion in 2018.聽
鈥淚 loved the competitive aspect of the sport,鈥� Wojcik said. 鈥淚 loved that you could develop your skills through the sport. I was always challenged no matter how good I got, there was always a new skill to learn or improve on and I never got bored of it.鈥�
After finding extreme success at the club level, Wojcik had to decide where she wanted to attend college. Her answer was easy: she wanted to compete with the Michigan Wolverines.
鈥淚n high school I was invited out on a recruiting trip to Michigan,鈥� Wojcik said. 鈥淚 had a few others planned but Michigan was going to be my first one. I came out during a football weekend and immediately fell in love with everything about Michigan. I loved watching gymnastics practice and the balance their coaching staff had. Our personalities meshed really well. I just loved everything about Michigan鈥檚 culture and ended up canceling the rest of my recruiting trips because I knew that nothing would compare.鈥�
The Wolverines always had a solid women鈥檚 gymnastics program, but did not have a national championship when Wojcik arrived. They had four individual gymnasts who won an individual NCAA championship, and Wojcik would soon be the fifth.
In Wojcik鈥檚 freshman season in 2019, she won the NCAA championship on balance beam. The Wolverines as a team finished in third place in the NCAA Championships semifinal. While impressive, Wojcik and the team wanted more.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the 2020 NCAA Championships were canceled. Michigan was having a great season and was looking to be a strong competitor in the event.
鈥淲e tried to focus not on what we were missing out on, but what we still had the opportunity to do,鈥� Wojcik said. 鈥淭here were some teams who had to miss competitions because of COVID-19 restrictions. We focused on the things we were fortunate to have instead of the things we were losing.鈥�
Wojcik came out on a mission in 2021 once it was safe to compete again. She scored two perfect 10.0s in the season 鈥� an incredible feat. One of these perfect scores came on a huge stage at the Big Ten Championships. She earned Women鈥檚 Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) All-American honors, was the team co-MVP, and was First Team All-Big Ten.
On top of Wojcik鈥檚 individual feats, the Wolverines were having an incredible season. The Wolverines dominated their regional championships and qualified for the national championship. On April 17, 2021, the Michigan Wolverines women’s gymnastics team had won its first ever NCAA championship.
(Credit: Michigan Photography)
鈥淭he national championship in 2021 was one of my favorite moments of my career so far,鈥� Wojcik said. 鈥淢y freshman year we didn’t make it to the final round and we sat in the stands and watched the finals. After that meet I talked to some of my teammates and told them that I am never sitting in the stands during finals again. In 2021, we definitely came in with a mission. We were happy to be there but did not want to be in the stands in the finals again. At that point, it was like we made it this far so why not us?鈥�
Academically, Wojcik has thrived as well. Wojcik admires the academics that Michigan bolsters. The gymnast standout has been named Academic All-Big Ten twice and takes her education very seriously.
鈥淔or me, being intentional with making time has been key,鈥� Wojcik said on her academic success. 鈥淚t can be really easy to get wrapped up in the athletic side of things because there鈥檚 so much hype that surrounds competing. If you lose your balance between all areas of your life, everything seems to spiral downhill. I always make sure to set enough time to study, even if it鈥檚 in airports.鈥�
While Wojcik has thrived throughout her entire career, she鈥檚 had her fair share of adversity. When growing up, power was something the gymnast struggled with. Vault became extremely challenging for Wojcik as her size hindered her ability to perform solid gymnastics.
Once Wojcik got to high school, she worked to improve her strength, as she wanted to be well-rounded in the sport. Vault eventually became one of the best parts of her skillset. The Wolverine gymnast would go on to earn a perfect 10.0 on vault in her freshman year and two other times in her career.
鈥淚 had coaches who told me maybe vault just wasn’t my thing and that I鈥檇 maybe never be good at it,鈥� Wojcik said. 鈥淚 just really tried to stick with it and work through the challenges. I worked really hard with it and definitely got frustrated at times, but I worked to make it one of my strengths.鈥�
Part of Wojcik鈥檚 success can be tied to how much time and effort she has put into gymnastics throughout her entire life. As soon as Wojcik was old enough, she began to volunteer for Special Olympics gymnastics. She volunteered from elementary school through high school and it was an experience that taught her a plethora of lessons.
鈥淲orking with those athletes is just so inspiring,鈥� Wojcik said. 鈥淭hey tell us how much they learn from us but I think we as volunteers learn so much from them as well. To see their work ethic and the joy that they have to be practicing and competing is just so inspiring.鈥�
Wojcik also dedicates some of her free time to volunteer with . This program works with children who have a wide range of disabilities and Wojcik is incredibly passionate about volunteering with this group when she has the time to do so.
Following graduation, Wojcik plans to get a master’s degree in social work. While she doesn鈥檛 know exactly what career she鈥檒l pursue, she knows that she is passionate about working with people.
There鈥檚 still work to do this season for the Wolverines. Wojcik and the rest of the team will look to repeat as NCAA champions in 2022. Given the work ethic and success that has followed the senior throughout her career, that goal seems plenty plausible. Regardless of how her career ends, Wojcik can look back on her time with the Wolverines as undoubtedly successful.
