By Alexis Hepler
The Occidentalist
Traverse City West Senior HS
1st Place
Division 2, News Writing
Sports Feature Story
When sports come naturally, it is never easy to pick just one, and athletes have to make difficult choices when choosing their athletic seasons. This year, Maddie Medler ‘19 quit soccer and basketball to join the rowing team.
“I have played soccer ever since I was little and this would be my third year on Varsity, and I was a captain on Varsity last year,” Medler said. “I have played basketball ever since I was little as well and this would be my first year on Varsity. I stopped playing them because of how many injuries I have acquired from playing them.
I started rowing this summer just to try something new, and it was such a different kind of physical workout that I just fell in love with it. It is actually so hard, and has made me gain a lot more muscle mass. It’s actually the one sport I have played that has made me feel like I’m going to throw up from working so hard.”
It was not easy to exchange two sports she both loved and was good at for rowing, but Medler has found her strength in the boat.
“You feel so great after a rowing practice because of how hard you’ve worked,” Medler said. “Overall it was just so refreshing for me to find something so calming yet so intense.”
The number of female-only rowing teams has exploded over the last decade which puts Medler at an advantage when applying to schools and for scholarships. Schools like Ohio State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan all have funding available for female rowers, including some full rides. This past fall Medler visited the rowing program and campus at Grand Valley State, however she is also interested in studying optometry