From running the 800 meter race to winning match point, sophomore Natalie Phippen has faced a long journey to get where she is today. This journey not only made her stronger, but has also made her realize to never take anything for granted.

Phippen played tennis and ran track and field at Stillwater High School in Minnesota throughout all four years of high school. She was determined to play at a Division I school for college athletics.

These two sports were her passion and she focused on each sport to the best of her ability. Her determination and dedication towards each sport was shown when she was offered athletic scholarships for both tennis and track and field from multiple Division I schools.

Since Phippen wanted to play at a big school, track and field would be her only way to pursue this dream because the tennis offers weren’t at big schools. At the end of her senior year in high school, Phippen committed to Iowa State University for track and field.

But her freshman year at Iowa State didn’t go as well as she wanted after coaching changes on the track and field team shortened her year.

“We ended up getting new coaches from Oklahoma State and they decided to cut about half the team,” Phippen said.

After being released, Phippen still wanted to be a Division I athlete, but maybe not in track and field. She was planning on transferring to North Dakota after her freshman year to play tennis, her other passion.

Phippen would practice at the tennis courts on a regular basis to get ready for next season at UND until ISU tennis coach Armando Espinosa noticed her play one day. Espinosa needed some players for the team that year because of injuries on the team.

“One of the employees at the club called us and told us about Natalie,” Espinosa said. “We asked her if she wanted to try out for Iowa State and she’s been a great addition ever since.”

Phippen has continued to progress throughout the last year and wants to continue getting better every day. Espinosa has noticed her daily work and her determination of being the best that she can be.

“She made the commitment of staying here [at Iowa State] over the previous summer and I hit with her every day,” Espinosa said. “She’s probably one of the most developed players.”

Phippen is glad she stayed at Iowa State and says she knows that the future is strong for the program. She loves playing the sport every day and being able to call herself a student athlete.

She also has many goals during her junior and senior year in college as an athlete that she hopes can be achieved before her graduation in a couple years. One of those goals is to always keep pushing herself to reach the No. 1 spot in the lineup. Her other goal is to make an example for the new recruits as they come into the program and help them when needed.

“If you really work at practice and if you really try hard and persevere, you can do anything as long as your mentality is strong,” Phippen said.