Maggie Johnson graduated with her high school diploma from River Falls High School this past spring. She applied to just one college.

"We always went to Badger football games growing up," said Johnson. "And I'd see the student section and always thought to myself, that's where I want to be."

Johnson's grades were outstanding. She was on the golf team and played basketball and soccer for the Wildcats. She was a two-year captain on the pitch, all-conference for two years, and played in the Wisconsin Senior State All-Star game. Johnson earned two nicknames on the soccer live web streams for her stellar defense: “The Iron Wall” and “Lead Defense Council for Johnson & Johnson” (her sister, Addie, was the goalie). In basketball, she was known as "The Hay Baler." She worked on her family farm and did the "dirty work" on the basketball court, rebounding, defense, once again, and setting screens.

"When soccer ended in the spring, it was sad," said Johnson. "I'm never going to be doing any sports again."

Never say never.

Johnson and 8,500 of her fellow Wisconsin Badger freshmen went to their scheduled orientation in the fall. She ran into a Badger rowing coach recruiting women for the freshmen novice team.

"They said I looked athletic and asked if I'd try out for rowing," said Johnson. "I thought if they think so, then maybe I can."

Rowing coaches look to recruit former basketball and soccer players. Rowing requires long length, strong legs, and stamina. Two out of three for Johnson was enough for the coaches.

"In an ideal world, they'd want me to be about four inches taller. I'm probably one of the shortest girls on team," Johnson replied with an awe shucks appeal.

Maggie Johnson, the former "Hay Baler," is also one of the strongest. 

"Apparently I got my huge leg muscles from Slammin' Sammy (her dad). I was lucky enough for him to transfer his huge calves on to me, too," Johnson replied with an eye roll.

There was a recurring theme with Johnson's high school sports' nicknames, lawyer reference withstanding (she's majoring in Biology). "Iron Wall" and "Hay Baler" were a tip of the cap to toughness, strength, and hard work. That's the type of player she was and maybe her ship had come in, or more correctly stated, her shell (a competitive rowing boat).  

Johnson's very first new friend she met in the dorms, luck of the draw, was also trying out for rowing.

"It was like a sign I needed to do it," Johnson said.

Over 150 freshmen women tried out for the rowing team. Forty would make the team. Johnson was one of them. Division I athletics is hard work and rowing is, by far, not an exception.

"We've lost about half of the girls that made the team in the first semester," said Johnson.

In a 2,000-meter race (about 1.25 miles), it takes what’s called an eight (eight women in the boat, plus one coxswain) about six and a half minutes to finish the race. During that time, Maggie burns more calories than she would "Hay Baling" in back-to-back basketball games.

"I'm in the best shape of my life for sure," she said, "and it's so rewarding seeing your times go down. At first, I was a little iffy, but now I really enjoy it. The team has become a family to me. Being on a team is what I really would've missed and rowing is the epitome of a team because we have to be perfectly in sync."

The fall semester included a month-long tryout and one practice per day. They train on "ergs" (indoor rowing machines) near Camp Randall Stadium and in "The Tank" (a pool with oars in it).

"When it's not frozen, we practice on Lake Mendota," said Johnson.

She and her freshmen Badger oarswomen recently returned from a 12-day training session in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Team bonding was baking and their times were improving. Johnson has also been learning rowing terminology.

A coxswain (pronounced cox-'n) is the light as a feather teammate motivating, directing, watching for errors, and guiding the eight. Light and loud, that's how the Big 10 teams prefer their coxswain. 

"Our coxswain is 4'9"," said Johnson, "so I'm definitely not the shortest on the team."

If she calls home and tells her dad, Sam, she "caught a crab" at practice, it's not something she picked up on State Street; that's when the oar enters the water at an improper angle and is caught underneath the water.

There are eight oarswomen in a shell (boat). That makes an "eight" (the team). There are eight "seats" numbered, very practically, 1-8. Seats one and two are called the bow pair. Those seats need to have a smooth and fluid technique. Seats three through six are known as the "power engine" and that's where Maggie sits. Power engine rowers are strong and powerful, much like the clean-up hitter in baseball. Seats seven and eight are the stern pair and they set the stroke rate.

The very first official collegiate sport in the United States was rowing, Harvard vs. Yale in 1858 on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.

"It's been a big adjustment but the coolest thing is I never even knew this sport existed a year ago," said Johnson, "and now it's the reason I'm making all these friends and being a part of this community. Plus, the Badger gear they give us is insane. I have all the benefits of being a D-I athlete and I'd never even touched an oar before this year." 

Watch a video of Johnson's adventure here.