Hillsdale senior swimmer Rachael Kurtz now stands alone as the only Charger swimmer to receive All-American honors twice in her collegiate career. With her finish of 16th in the 50 freestyle event at the 2015 NCAA Division II swimming and diving championships, Kurtz marked her place in Hillsdale history leaving the legacy of two All-American titles.
“For her to go second time All-American is a great tribute to her. She can say she was named All-American for half her swimming career at Hillsdale,” head coach Kurt Kirner said.
But it wasn’t just her awards and achievements that made Kurtz stand out on the Charger swim team. Kurtz led by example, pushing herself and her teammates to meet their full potential. According to her teammates, she was a source of encouragement that made a lasting impact on the Charger team.
“She was the first one to tell me that I could walk onto the team. Honestly, she is the reason that I am on the team,” said sophomore swimmer MacKenzie Dickhudt, “She had such a big belief in me. All throughout the season she continued to encourage me and told me that I could do it.”
Growing up, Kurtz was very athletic. She tried everything and was good at everything.
“I played like eight sports, but at some point, you have to choose,” Kurtz said.
Swimming, she found, was the one sport she couldn’t bear to give up. From then on, all her time was spent in the pool.
Coming into her college career, Kurtz had the potential to do great things. She said her tactic was to set the bar really high for herself, and always push to be better.
Kurtz kept improving, but said she had to learn a hard lesson during her sophomore season: Kurtz raced her best time during her last race, but just missed the qualification mark for nationals by .01 seconds.
“It was hard not to make the cut off, but I took it as a learning experience,” she said. But Kurtz had the opportunity at a Last Chance meet to try to qualify one more time.
“I didn’t think I could do any better. I decided not go, I had already learned a lot that season,” Kurtz said.
“Once I realized that I was only .01 from qualifying, I wished I had tried one more time,” she said, “After that, I learned to not let any opportunities go to waste.”
That is how she swam the rest of her career.
“You always love those kids that come in and keep trending up,” Kirner said. “She certainly has been the type who comes in with a certain talent that keeps getting better.”
Kurtz continued to work harder, swim faster, and push herself all the way through her last race. “Lots of swimming is mental, especially the 50 and 100 meters which I race,” Kurtz said. “It all comes down to who thinks they are going to win, who has the tougher mindset.”
Kurtz explained that reflecting on her collegiate career, the time she’s spent working with her teammates overshadows her accomplishments.
“I think it would be unfair to say that a highlight is an accomplishment because that is the thing you get from all your hard work. Those are great times and all, but it is the hours in the pool where its 6 a.m. and no one wants to get in, but we all get in together— Its those types of things that I think are the best,” Kurtz said.
Bonding with teammates— spending hours on a bus together and encouraging those around her to be their best— those are the memories that matter, she said.
“Her constant encouragement and honesty are her legacy, “ said Dickhudt. That is how Rachael Kurtz will be remembered: Not just for her achievements, but by her character as the ultimate encouragement.”