When Bryanna Seifert — one of the newest additions to the Badgers’ varsity women’s rowing team — chose to attend the University of Wisconsin over various opportunities to receive scholarships to play Division I women’s basketball, she says she raised more than a few eyebrows.
Schools such as Valparaiso University, Central Michigan University and Butler University all offered scholarships to the forward from Hartland, Wis., who amassed quite the catalogue of achievements before graduating high school.
Playing forward at Hartland Arrowhead high school, Seifert was the team captain and a two-time team most valuable player, and she finished her basketball career by being named to the all-county and all-conference teams her senior year.
Seifert’s basketball career reached its peak in 2001 when she competed on the Wisconsin Junior Olympic Team and qualified for nationals.
In addition to her success on the court, Seifert ranked as one of Wisconsin’s top female soccer players, earning all-conference and all-state honors in 2002 and leading that year’s team to victories in conference and regional tournaments.
Yet, when it came to picking her school, the sophomore chose to follow her heart. The chance to come to Madison outweighed the promise of hoops glory.
“I wasn’t ready to sacrifice the school atmosphere to play basketball,” she said. “You really have to make a decision that’s right for you. Full rides are attractive and appealing, but if you’re not in love with the school, then you can’t sacrifice what makes you happy.”
Wanting to try something different, Seifert decided to take a chance on a new sport; she has been proving those who doubted her decision wrong ever since.
“Giving up basketball and soccer, rowing has definitely been able to [provide] that competitiveness in my life,” she said. “It’s great. I’m really happy with my decision.”
Her decision has paid off in spades for the crew team. Last year, she helped an eight-girl novice squad (consisting entirely of freshmen) to win a Big Ten title and to place fourth at the Eastern Sprints.
If she keeps up the pace, she will easily maintain her family’s legacy within the Wisconsin athletic program.
Seifert’s father, Mike, started for the Badgers at defensive end between 1971 and 1973. His talents persuaded the Cleveland Browns to draft him, and he pursued his football career until a knee injury and the difficulty of raising a family under the uncertainty of NFL training camps forced him out of the game.
Her uncle, Pat Litscher, was a member of the UW men’s crew team from 1974 to 1977.
With cardinal and white clearly running through her veins, Bryanna found Madison hard to resist.
“I have a lot of my family that went to Madison. I’ve always loved Madison,” she said. “Everything just kept coming back here. It was too good of an opportunity to not take advantage of.”
Seifert said that the decision to join her family’s lofty legacy has certainly been an exciting one for her father.
“The first time [my father] saw me wearing a UW jersey, he flipped out,” she said. “He’s having a blast with this, so that’s nice.”
The crew program has been forced to overcome some obstacles this year. Former head coach Maren Laliberty recently and unexpectedly resigned her position. Just barely into her second season as the head coach of both the openweight and lightweight crew teams, Laliberty cited “personal reasons” for her departure.
But Seifert is maintaining a positive outlook.
The university has hired former head coach Sue Ela to handle the program’s administrative duties on an interim basis while the current assistants try to make this season of transition into a successful one.
“She’s been a really successful coach,” said Seifert of Ela’s return to UW. “Everyone has really good things to say about her.”
If the rest of Seifert’s team reflects her competitive and optimistic attitude, then Ela should have no trouble repeating her past success.
