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Apr. 10—It isn't often that a high school athlete earns the right to participate in a Division I program in a sport they've never even attempted.
But that's exactly what Riley Szelagowski, a senior at Wapakoneta High School, did this week when she committed to join the rowing team at Ohio State next year.
Szelagowski, who has earned 10 varsity letters at Wapak in volleyball, basketball, track and tennis, decided to take the calculated risk after being recruited to the team by Michaela Nordhaus, a native of Ottawa who walked on the team herself during the 2017-18 season.
The rowing program at Ohio State takes 10 walk-ons and 10 experienced recruits who are on scholarship. It is a fully-funded Division I program that competes in the Big Ten the same way the majority of teams at Ohio State do.
Szelagowski admitted that rowing was something she didn't know much about, but it's a challenge she's excited to take on.
"When I went on my visit and they showed me around their facilities, I realized that I wanted to continue my athletic career and this is a really awesome way to be able to do that at an amazing school," Szelagowski said.
On her visit to Ohio State, Szelagowski was given an up-close and personal tour of what it's like to member of the rowing team.
"We went out at the boathouse at 5:30 a.m. and I went out on the boats to just watch the girls row," she said. "We followed the walk-on team and they did a two-hour workout where they did different drills in the boat.
"After that, we went to their training facility. They do a lot of long-distance cardio exercises and a lot of aerobic base workouts. Those are some things I'm used to from just playing volleyball and basketball, but it's definitely going to be a challenge."
As a member of the volleyball team, Szelagowski earned third-team Western Buckeye League honors this past season and an honorable mention following her junior year. She was a three-year starter on the girls basketball team and qualified for regionals twice in the 400-meter relay and once in the 400-meter dash during track season.
In her studies at Ohio State, Szelagowski plans to be an economics major on a pre-law track in the Fisher Honors College of Business with the hope of becoming a lawyer one day.
"I like the challenge of trying something new and doing it at Ohio State is an incredible opportunity," Szelagowski said. "I've always been a Buckeye too and I've always rooted for the Buckeyes. I ended up choosing to go to college there and when they asked me to do this, it was just a blessing that I couldn't pass up."
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on X @Lima_Howell
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But that's exactly what Riley Szelagowski, a senior at Wapakoneta High School, did this week when she committed to join the rowing team at Ohio State next year.
Szelagowski, who has earned 10 varsity letters at Wapak in volleyball, basketball, track and tennis, decided to take the calculated risk after being recruited to the team by Michaela Nordhaus, a native of Ottawa who walked on the team herself during the 2017-18 season.
The rowing program at Ohio State takes 10 walk-ons and 10 experienced recruits who are on scholarship. It is a fully-funded Division I program that competes in the Big Ten the same way the majority of teams at Ohio State do.
Szelagowski admitted that rowing was something she didn't know much about, but it's a challenge she's excited to take on.
"When I went on my visit and they showed me around their facilities, I realized that I wanted to continue my athletic career and this is a really awesome way to be able to do that at an amazing school," Szelagowski said.
On her visit to Ohio State, Szelagowski was given an up-close and personal tour of what it's like to member of the rowing team.
"We went out at the boathouse at 5:30 a.m. and I went out on the boats to just watch the girls row," she said. "We followed the walk-on team and they did a two-hour workout where they did different drills in the boat.
"After that, we went to their training facility. They do a lot of long-distance cardio exercises and a lot of aerobic base workouts. Those are some things I'm used to from just playing volleyball and basketball, but it's definitely going to be a challenge."
As a member of the volleyball team, Szelagowski earned third-team Western Buckeye League honors this past season and an honorable mention following her junior year. She was a three-year starter on the girls basketball team and qualified for regionals twice in the 400-meter relay and once in the 400-meter dash during track season.
In her studies at Ohio State, Szelagowski plans to be an economics major on a pre-law track in the Fisher Honors College of Business with the hope of becoming a lawyer one day.
"I like the challenge of trying something new and doing it at Ohio State is an incredible opportunity," Szelagowski said. "I've always been a Buckeye too and I've always rooted for the Buckeyes. I ended up choosing to go to college there and when they asked me to do this, it was just a blessing that I couldn't pass up."
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on X @Lima_Howell
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