Fairfield senior Natalie Steele has committed to Wartburg College to continue her tennis career, staying in Iowa and keeping the black and orange — though she’ll trade in her Trojan identity for that of a Knight.
Wartburg, located in Waverly, is an NCAA Division III school. Steele said the fit felt right both on and off the court.
“Wartburg has a great education program which helped narrow down the decision a little bit,” Steele said. “And I thought Wartburg felt like home and I was able to connect with a lot of the teammates and the coaches in general. And that helped narrow down the decision.”
The recruiting process was competitive, with Steele also considering Cornell College and Loras College before ultimately choosing Wartburg. The Knights first took notice of her during her sophomore year, when she placed eighth in singles at the individual state tournament — a finish she matched again as a junior. This fall as a senior, she improved to sixth place at state while also helping the Fairfield team qualify for the team state tournament.
It was at that sophomore state tournament where Wartburg head coach Christopher Gustas first laid eyes on Steele. “I first noticed Natalie playing at Byrnes Park in the state tournament fighting her way through the consolation rounds as a sophomore,” Gustas said. “She was a great example of a player that seeing her play moved up her standing as a prospect in my mind. I saw powerful shots from her, and if a player can hit with power and has the fundamentals she has I feel confident there is a route to a breakout there.”
What Gustas saw over the next two years only strengthened his interest. “What I’ve seen from Natalie at the next two tournaments as well as our tennis camp has been impressive. She’s grown in her court IQ, and her patience. I see her now as a player willing to hit her strong shots but to smart targets and also a willingness to use her mental toughness to grind through a match and wear someone down. In the first match I saw her play, she was a victim of that exact strategy. And I don’t think she would lose that same match as a senior.”
Character was equally important to Gustas in the recruiting process. “I am always on the lookout for what type of person and teammate my recruits are. Natalie has been hard working and kind. A big bonus is if I can get a recruit to come to our camp, because it’s a demanding camp. We put them through challenges and I get to find out who is coachable, tough and works well with those around them. Natalie passed all the tests.”
Steele said the relationship with the coaching staff developed steadily and played a significant role in her choice. “I think the help with the connection is he’s been texting me for so long and it just connected well. I feel like he’s a great coach. I’m super excited to play under him.”
When asked what she wants to work on before arriving at Wartburg, Steele pointed to consistency, her mental game and her defensive play. “You’re not always going to be the driver, which is what I would love to be, but you’re not always going to be — so to be able to play defense and get back into that driver position is what I would love to work on before I head there.”
Gustas said those are exactly the areas he plans to develop with her. “I think her mental game will grow because she will be pushed more often, and also work with coaches and teammates who really value this and know how to go about it. As for her defense, right now I suspect Natalie does not have to play defense very often, she’s usually the more aggressive more powerful player. But at our practices that won’t be the case. We’ll teach her what shots to hit in those situations and build them into her game, when she gets back to neutral she’s got tools to work from there.”
Academically, Steele plans to study secondary education with an endorsement in math. “Wartburg has a great education program, which helped me decide,” she said.
Her goals for the first season are straightforward. “My overall goal is just to go there and make friends and have fun. Obviously I look forward to playing some competitive tennis but my overall goal is just to go there and make friends and have fun.”
Steele credited her development as a player to the coaches and teammates she had at Fairfield. “Getting to play with the Fairfield team this year and getting to state and having Travis as my coach and obviously Steve and Chan and Kim — just overall helped me grow so fast as a player.”
When reflecting on her time with the program, it’s the relationships she said she’ll carry with her. “I remember the friendships the most. We’re all a team, we’re all friends on and off that court. I remember Travis — I’ll never forget him. He was such a great coach. So I’m super excited to move on with my life but I’m also really sad that we had an end to our season.”
Steele closed with a message of gratitude to the community that supported her. “I just want to thank everybody for helping along the way — my parents, my siblings, family, coaches, media, friends, and just the community support we had behind our whole team and me in general. It was great to play at Fairfield High School and Fairfield has built me into the player I am today. So I just want to thank them for everything.”
Fairfield head coach Travis Dunkin shared his excitement about the commitment. “So excited and happy for her — very well deserved. Wartburg is getting a great tennis player. She’s a competitor, great teammate, a coach’s dream to coach, always wanting to get better and there for her teammates. But more importantly, Wartburg is getting a great person in Natalie. I’m happy for her and excited to watch her continue her career!”
