Natalie Turner begins her eighth season of intercollegiate competition at the helm of the Bruins' swimming program in 2025-26. George Fox University named the former NCAA Division III All-American its first head coach in 2017.
A young Bruins squad highlighted the 2024-25 season, as both teams finished in seventh place. Laurel Knox, Jesse Urback, and Cameron Alexander picked up All-NWC honors this season, with Urback earning the lone first-team All-NWC honor in the 1650 freestyle.
In 2023-24, the Bruins earned 13 All-NWC honors and broke several school records during the conference meet. Turner helped coach both teams to a sixth place finish in the Northwest Conference, with sophomore Laurel Knox earning first-team honors in the 1650 freestyle.
The Bruins continued to grow in 2022-23, with the men's program finishing 4th in the conference. With the help of Turner's coaching, the program notched 8 All-NWC honors, one more than in the 2021-22 season.
The Bruins competed in four meets during a COVID-altered season in 2020-21 and were able to continue their growth as a program despite the challenging circumstances. No conference meet was held and no All-NWC awards were offered, and the NCAA championship was also canceled.
In 2019-20, the Bruins notched new program records in nearly every stroke/distance combination for the men and women and had 13 swimmers earn All-Northwest Conference honors. Aspen Monkhouse qualified as an individual for NCAA Nationals and was named the team's first-ever CSCAA All-American during the season. Both teams were honored as CSCAA Scholar-Teams, and both the men and women each earned at least one dual-meet win during the season.
Turner has built the culture and the team from scratch with a 'zero year' in the 2017-18 academic year and the teams first competed in the 2018-19 season as a member of the Northwest Conference. The Bruins had one swimmer qualify for NCAA Nationals in its first competitive season in 2018-19 and also garnered 12 All-NWC honors.
The addition of swimming brings the number of teams offered at the university to 21. George Fox is the only Christian college in Oregon to offer the sport and was the final member of the NWC to field a swim team. "This is a historic time at George Fox University as we start our men's and women's swim program," said Puckett of the program's initial founding. "George Fox University's intention is to compete immediately within the Northwest Conference and to run a championship caliber collegiate swim program. I am thrilled to name Natalie Turner as our first-ever swim coach as she brings immense knowledge of the northwest swim club environment, an intense competitive spirit and a love for Jesus."
"I am very excited to come to George Fox and become a part of the community," Turner said. "They have a commitment to excellence in their athletic programs, and I can't wait to add to its success with a swim team. My hope is that the athletes we recruit to George Fox will add to the faithful and competitive culture that is already in place."
Turner comes to George Fox after serving as the head coach of the Spokane Waves Aquatic team since 2012. The Spokane Waves are associated with USA Swimming and Inland Empire Swimming, with a year-round competitive team. Before her time with the Waves, Turner was the assistant coach for the Coeur d'Alene area swim team in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Turner graduated from Whitworth University with a bachelor's degree in sociology and criminal justice. A four-year swimmer, Turner was a four-time NWC Swimmer of the Meet and a 12-time individual NWC champion. She still holds the individual NWC record in the 200 free, 500 free, and 1,650 free. She was a 10-time NCAA Div. III All-American and a two-time NCAA Div. III Relay All-American. In 2010, she was named Whitworth University Female Athlete of the Year.
"I turned to competitive coaching after my long career as a swimmer came to an end," she said. "My desire to work with athletes who have a passion for swimming and helping them to be successful both in the water and out of the water has fueled my love of coaching. I was very fortunate as an athlete to have had amazing and inspiring coaches who have guided the way I coach swimmers now."
