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60 // VARSITY May 15, 2014 to have that kind of supportive family situation." The MRC's 20-25 boys and 30-35 girls would gath- er at the boathouse for five two-hour practices each week to prepare for races against other pre-college rowing clubs from the Madison, Chicago and Min- neapolis areas. With a structure and schedule that closely resembles that of a collegiate rowing team, Sarah said the club prepared her well for what to ex- pect at UW. "Knowing what I was getting into with college rowing was really helpful with the practices and the structure we had," Sarah said. "After doing the (MRC), I knew it would be tough and I was familiar with hard workouts on the erg, so having that men- tal preparation was really helpful for me." Despite her positive experience with the MRC, Sarah said her college decision wasn't dependent on rowing; it was the beautiful UW campus and the op- portunities that the university had to offer that led her to enroll. James, on the other hand, said continu- ing to row was a top priority, and given UW's repu- table rowing program, he also chose Wisconsin. And both said they couldn't be happier with their choice. Although they found the transition to college overwhelming with trying to balance school work- loads and intense rowing practice schedules, Sarah and James said their first year of UW rowing has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. "The coaches are really great because they're 100 percent committed, so they're a good motivator in themselves," Sarah said. "Plus the varsity team sets a good example. They have really good intensity when they do their workouts and it has really poured over into (the novice) team. We've learned a lot from them, and it's been cool to see." James added that making his rowing experience even better is having his sis- ter nearby. While he said it is nice run- ning into Sarah at Porter Boathouse during the week, James said the pair also makes time for each other outside of their rowing schedules, often meeting up for a meal or spending time together at one of their next-door dorms on the weekends. "We're really close, it feels like a con- tinuation of what we had at home," James said. "In a sense, we're actually in a closer environment here at UW than we were before because we went to dif- ferent high schools. It's just really nice to have a part of my family here with me." And while both said they haven't put too much thought into any potential post-college rowing or career plans, they are excited to make the most of their time at UW. "Becoming close with my teammates and feeling a close bond with them af- ter everything we've been through this year has been great," James said. "But even outside of rowing, it's exciting to really start becoming acclimated to the campus and feel like this has become my home. It's good to feel like I belong here." "Becoming close with my teammates and feeling a close bond with them after everything we've been through this year has been great," James said.