JACKIE KOYKKAR Badgering...
A Madison, Wis., native who just completed her sophomore year, Jackie Koykkar was a 2011 First-Team All-Big Ten rower after helping the Badgers to a program-best ninth- place finish in the varsity eight at the 2011 NCAA Championships.
How did you get started rowing?
“I played softball, tennis and basketball in high school. I took the summer off before college, but then decided I wanted to try a team again. My boyfriend rows and he convinced me I should try it because I was tall. At the rowing team orientation, I talked to assistant coach Karen Rigsby and she said, ‘You’re tall. You could be really good at rowing,’ so I decided to walk on and try it. I really didn’t know very much at all about rowing - just a few things. I was pretty blind going into it.”
What do you think is the most important trait to being a good rower? “Tall is good because you get more leverage on the oar so the blade stays longer in the water and you get faster speed from that. You definitely have to be really tough and very physically fit. Rowing has made me fitter than I’ve ever been. You have to be re- ally tough and you have to want to win every day and just fight.”
How would you describe your first NCAA championships experience? “We were on the edge of getting there and so it was really exciting to make it there as a sophomore. It was a great experience to race against the top crews in the country. We placed ninth as a varsity eight, which was a lot better than we were seeded. It was just a lot of fun.”
What’s your typical day during the school year with rowing and school? “Wake up at 5:30 a.m. for practice at 6:15. Get off the water, shower then go to class at 8:50. Maybe a few breaks here or there, then have lunch and more class. In the after- noon we’d row if we could at 4 p.m. again, or lift weights at that time. Right after that, its dinner, then do homework until 9 p.m., when it is time to go to sleep to be able to get up in the morning and do it all over again.”
You are a Madison native, so were you a Badger fan growing up? “Oh definitely. I went to football games and always had Badger memorabilia around my house. It was great to become a Badger. I thought about getting away from Madison and going to Minnesota, but since I am studying engineering, it made it a pretty obvious choice.”
