Athlete of the Week: Nate Pulchalski

By HANNAH PARK and STELLA SONG

The muscle bound upper Nate Puchalski fights hard in both water polo (wopo) and wrestling. Known for his pure grit in the gym, the pool, and the mat, Puchalski strives for excellence in the athletic center. Some other areas  that Puchalski pursues around campus are in the economic and business clubs. He is also the new co-secretary of Student Council. Puchalski elevates his teammates and peers around him. 

Before coming in as a prep, Puchalski was already heavily involved in wrestling but was not yet introduced to the pool. As for wrestling, Puchalski said, “I love the intensity of wrestling and being able to pin a lot of kids. This year, I placed 2nd at Class A’s for my weight class, which is a pretty decent placement for myself.”

Puchalski’s hard work and dedication can be seen through his electric performances on the mat. “I’ve only watched Exeter wrestling once but Nate stood out among the rest. He was so quick, he was like a flash. He pinned his first opponent in a matter of seconds, and the second match I watched was a long, straining match with Nate coming out victorious,” upper Stellan Aalto said. 

“He genuinely was the fastest fighter I saw out there and pinned his opponent in the quickest time,” Aalto said. “You could also tell that he worked hard. Like before the fight, he was in a stable mindset, ignoring the sounds and distractions around him.”

Lower teammate Alex Rosen added, “Nate is extremely hard working and dedicated. He always puts all his effort in even when we’re all exhausted.” He continued on, “I was a new wrestler and water polo player this year and Nate was always there to help support me and give me great advice.”

Puchalski brings out the best in his fellow teammates. Upper Matt Dame said, “As a teammate, Nate will make you work. He is one of the most determined and focused people I know (at times he embodies the grindset) and this certainly translates into athletics. During water polo season, we would always partner up for drills and conditioning sets and he made me put my all into every practice.”

Puchalski is the embodiment of “the grind never stops.” Lower Max Lacombe said, “One time I walked into Nate’s room while he was going hard with his full body workout, and when I came back in an hour, he was still hitting the same workout.”

Lower Charlie Gao added, “Many times at away games on our long bus rides, I will always see Nate hard at work on his school work, never letting much time go to waste.” 

Not only is Puchalski swift on the mat, but he is also quick to learn in the pool. Dame said, “Nate learns quickly and never stops learning. One of the most impressive parts of Nate’s development in water polo is his understanding of the game. I always feel good about our chances when Nate has the ball because I know that he will find the right pass or take the perfect shot if it’s there.”

Puchalski is also a wonderful presence in the dorm. Rosen said, “Nate is a very fun presence in the dorm. He is a leader in the dorm and makes sure that everyone can participate in activities.”

“I would have a lot more positive things to say if he was still running the dorm grill. But aside from the shortage of takis in the dorm, I couldn’t imagine Soule without Nate,” Dame joked.

When asked about the transition to wopo, Puchalski said, “Wopo seemed like a really cool sport, and after I joined, the team was very welcoming. There were many other preps at the time who were also trying out wopo for the first time, so I fit right in.”

Puchalski described one highlight of his wopo season. “This year, during parents weekend, we scored a buzzer beater last second shot against Williston Northampton School, which was super hype with the stands packed.”

Regarding his interests, Puchalski said, “I love being in the gym, a little gym rat myself. I also love to be outdoors and travel with my big family of six.”

When asked about his campaign with his twin, Puchalski said, “Yeah it was a good campaign. People really liked our slogan, ‘Pushin’ Puchalski.’”

Puchalski has shared some fond memories with his friends. Dame said, “I will never forget the infamous febreeze wars last year between Nate, Antar, and a few other members of the dorm. There were some intense late-night battles over the control of the dorm’s supply of febreze canisters. I could be discrediting Antar as I write this, but I believe that Nate emerged victorious after weeks of grueling combat. A champion, truly.”

Upper and teammate Patrick McCann added, “The first time Nate came to preseason water polo, he immediately outpaced the entire team at our gruesome stadium workout.”

Puchalski concluded, “I am excited to finish out the wrestling season as well as getting back on the grind in the Spring.”