Checking in on Nome’s sports stars in college
It’s no secret that Nanooks do amazing things. Their hard work and drive don’t end at graduation, often continuing into whatever they take on next.
Recently, the Nugget checked in with wrestler Natallie Tobuk and basketball player Dawson Schaeffer, two Nome-Beltz graduates who are starting their careers as college athletes.
Natallie Tobuk began wrestling when she was just five-years-old. After her first official match, she was hooked. Currently a freshman studying kinesiology exercise science at Eureka College in Illinois and on the wrestling team, Tobuk’s goal is to become a physical therapist. Tobuk said she loves the environment of wrestling, despite it being a “pretty violent” sport she said you meet nice people.
Dawson Schaeffer started playing basketball also at a young age, just three-years-old when he first picked up a ball. In fifth grade he began practicing all the time with a goal of becoming the best. Growing up in Kotzebue he had his own hoop outside his house. “I was very fortunate to have good neighbors, so I was able to stay outside all night playing basketball,” Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer is now a sophomore at Diablo Valley College in California and on the basketball team. He’s studying business and said he wants to return to rural Alaska after graduation. He said it’s always been his goal to get an athletic scholarship to pay for his education.
Both athletes said their time as Nanooks was important in getting them to where they are now.
Schaeffer said he has great memories of playing with his Nanook teammates, especially winning the state championship in 2022.
It’s not an easy road going from high school to college sports. An athlete needs to be willing to go beyond regular practices and high school participation.
In addition to being on the Nome team, Tobuk participated on Team Alaska during a summer wrestling season. She said finding connections and meeting the right people helped open the door to being on a college team.
Schaeffer said its especially hard
living in Alaska because coaches aren’t usually willing to fly up from the Lower 48 for recruiting. Athletes need to be proactive, filming their games and putting together highlight videos and of course working hard perfecting their skills.
“I like to say we work harder in Alaska than everywhere else because of where we live, it’s hard to live, no one grows up like us,” Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer and Tobuk are both currently in the throes of their first official sports seasons. Playing in rural Alaska is a different atmosphere, Shaeffer said, back home the gym is packed with supporters no matter what. Tobuk echoed the differences between high school sports and playing at a collegiate level, “it’s a lot more competitive,” she said.
Nuggets of Wisdom:
Tobuk’s advice for wrestlers thinking about pursuing the sport in college is to work hard and control their grades. Being a student athlete is hard work, but Tobuk says it’s worth it to her.
“Talk to people, put your name out there saying, hey, I want to pursue this. After high school, how would I do that? Just ask questions, be open minded about places and
definitely do your research,” Tobuk said.
Schaeffer said his advice to basketball players aspiring to play in college is to keep practicing, try out for traveling teams and work hard to get yourself out there. “To all the younger kids, I’d tell them to keep working because I’ve seen them in the gym and they’re really good, I think they could go further than I’ve gotten myself,” Schaeffer said.