Schuler Masters Juggling School, Swim
2/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
By Jay Hinton
TCU Athletics Media Relations
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The last four years for TCU's Mackenzie Schuler have been quite a juggling act, but it is one she has come to master: early morning swims; clinicals at a local hospital; regular practice; road swimming meets; late-night papers; solo swims.
"You have to put your head down and roll (with it) and accept that I'm going to miss practices, and I'm going to have swim on Sunday by myself, or come late," Schuler said, who will graduate with a degree in nursing in December.
On a typical Monday, Schuler gets up around 5 a.m. and gets ready to be at her clinical at a local hospital by 6. She's there until 2 -- or sometimes later -- and then heads to swimming practice that begins around 3.
Two and a half hours later she leaves the pool, changes, eats dinner and then studies.
"It's hard and it's time-consuming, but it's so rewarding," she said. "I love everything."
Most schools she was interested in attending didn't have a nursing option, but TCU did, and that was a key factor for the Fresno, California, native. In addition, her high school swim coach had a relative working at TCU so he encouraged Schuler to check it out.
On her recruiting trip, she attended a football game at the old stadium the year the Frogs went to the Rose Bowl.
"We rushed the field and it was so cool. I loved everything about it," she said.
Of course, the option of a nursing program helped too.
"A lot of schools don't have nursing, they just have biology," she said. "The (swimming) coaches are so great. They said I could do nursing and swim. That was a big draw."
Schuler began swimming in junior high school. She was a member of the soccer team and also played water polo. It was through water polo that she got interested in swimming.
"Usually everyone who plays water polo swims, but I did soccer," she said. "So when swim season came around they said I should swim."
She took them up on it.
By the time she graduated from Clovis West High School, she was an All-American in the 200 and 400 free relays and 200 free. In addition, she was a three-time all-conference selection and three-time all-valley selection.
The National Honor Society member was also named a USA Swimming Academic All-American.
As a freshman at TCU, she made an immediate impact in the pool. She was a member of the record-breaking 800 free relay team, and she also earned an NCAA B cut in the event. She ranked second for TCU in the 500, 1000 and 1650 free and third in the 200 free. She posted nine event wins (four individual, five relays). She had wins in the 100 free and 200 free against Centenary; 500 free against Wyoming; and 1000 free against SMU.
As a sophomore, she competed in 10 meets, and she competed in the 1650 free; 200 free; 500 free; and 800 free relay (exhibition) at the Big 12 Championships.
Last year, the three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, competed in 10 meets. She posted eight first-place finishes and recorded four wins in the first four meets. The first four came in the 200 and 400 free relay events, while the 200 free relay times came against Kansas (1:36.82) and North Carolina (1:35.35), and the 400 free relay times were against San Diego State and Iowa State, with times of 3:31.28 and 3:29.81, respectively.
At the Manhattan Relays, she earned her first individual victory in the 50 free, clocking in at 25.15, while against West Virginia, she won the 100 free event with a time of 53.10.
At the Big 12 Championships in the 400 & 800 free relay and the 50, 100, 200, 500 & 1650 free events ... helped earn a third-place time in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:22.77. She was a member of two of the fastest relay times by TCU during the season.
So far this season, Schuler has competed in nine meets and has been a part of three first-place finishes -- 400 free relay (3:30.68) in a meet with North Dakota and Kansas, and against West Virginia (3:28.31). She also won the 500 free (5:13.25) against UT-Permian Basin. She also has six additional second-place finishes.
Her 2014 400 free relay team has the third-fastest time in school history at 3:22.77, while her 2012 800 free relay team (7:17.56) and her 2014 800 free relay team (7:19.45) currently rank second and third, respectively, in school history.
She will compete in her final meet of the season at the Big 12 Championships this week in Austin.
"It's been really hard at times, but it's so worth it," she said of her college experience. "Everything is worth it."
Players Mentioned
