Junior swimmer Nikki Dzurko performing a synchronized swimming routine. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
Even amid a pandemic, Nikki Dzurko just kept swimming — and it took her beyond Ohio State’s waters.
Dzurko, a junior from California who is a synchronized swimmer for Ohio State, is currently training back in her home state. She recently earned a spot on the United States Artistic Swimming National Team that’s looking to qualify for the 2021 Olympics.
Out of 28 swimmers who performed solo routines at the August trials, she was one of three athletes given a spot.
Dzurko said she felt like she wasn’t in her best personal shape due to the lack of training facilities and coaches she had due to the pandemic, and was surprised to make the team.
“Being able to make it was a huge shock to me. I was really proud of myself for pushing against the odds and doing it no matter what,” Dzurko said.
The trials involved swimming a routine for a few judges, as well as some land, flexibility and strength skills. Dzurko said the trials this year were different than in years past to keep everyone as socially distanced as possible.
“Because of COVID and everything it was a little bit strange,” Dzurko said. “I’ve been to past national team trials and done national team in the past, but this was definitely a whole different setup.”
Dzurko said she is currently taking a gap year from swimming for Ohio State to train with the national team, but is still taking classes online.
Synchronized swimming is a family affair in the Dzurko household as her mother was on the Canadian National team and competed at national and international meets.
However, it wasn’t until Dzurko was 6 years old and one of her friends in her ballet class decided to try the sport when she decided she wanted to try it out too. She moved to a more intensive club when she was 11 years old, which instilled a passion for the sport in her.
“I fell in love with the sport when I competed at higher level meets like nationals and I started going internationally,” Dzurko said. “I like being competitive with people and I really like performing, so synchronized swimming is definitely the sport for me because it combines those and adds an artistic quality to it as well.”
Holly-Vargo Brown, head coach of the Ohio State synchronized swimming team, said she enjoys how Dzurko brings both maturity and a sense of joy when she is training.
“She is an extremely intelligent young woman and has a passion for the sport,” Vargo-Brown said. “You combine those two things together and it really creates an excellent athlete.”
Vargo-Brown said she thinks Dzurko’s leadership abilities both in and out of the pool will help her contribute to the national team.
“She will bring experience to the U.S. national team. The team right now is a little bit younger, so with her maturity and her ability to lead, which she has shown time and time again on Ohio State’s team, she will really elevate that team to the next level,” Vargo-Brown said.
Dzurko has shown these leadership qualities since she was a freshman, Vargo-Brown said.
Last season, Dzurko went undefeated in her duet with her partner Laila Huric until the season’s abrupt end.
Huric said the connection she has with Dzurko is very rare and that she’ll miss having her around the team next year.
“Nikki is not just my duet partner, she is one of my best friends,” Huric said. “It was a little sad when she gave me the news she was deciding to take a year off from the Ohio State team.”
Huric said that the team is now tasked with filling the hole left by Dzurko’s departure.
Vargo-Brown said she’s proud of Dzurko as she takes her next step in her synchronized swimming career.
“It was a tough decision for her to consider pursuing a different path right at this moment. We had a lot of discussions about it, moving forward how it would help her goals for the Olympics and I’m super proud that she took the risk,” Vargo-Brown said. “I knew she would do well, and to see her make the team is very exciting for her individually, and of course for Ohio State as a program as well.”
