On the shores of Lake Mendota, UW student athletes train, sweat and compete just like their counterparts on the Kohl Center court and Camp Randall gridiron.
But when these athletes take to the water to face teams from across the country, there will not be thousands of people watching them. Fans will not fill out brackets to predict their success. Even if they go undefeated, they will probably never appear on national television.
Who are these warriors toiling day in and day out with little recognition from their peers on campus?
They are the men of the University of Wisconsin crew team. And no offense to coach Bret Bielema, coach Mike Eaves or coach Bo Ryan, but they are probably working harder than their respective teams.
Just ask junior Dan Stevens, sophomore Max Goff and freshman Jonathan Lang - a trio of Sun Prairie natives giving their all as UW rowers.
For the majority of the week, I'm just completely exhausted,"" Stevens said.
Judging from the practice schedule the three men described, they have every right to be. According to Stevens, the crew team practices seven to nine times each week. Morning practices usually begin around 6 a.m. Of course, on Saturday the team gets to sleep in. Practices start at 6:30 a.m.
""You have to come out here and work your butt off just to get a spot on the team,"" Goff said.
The team participates in ""erg"" - short for ergonomic - workouts in which they mimic the rowing motion on a workout machine for as long and as fast as they possibly can. The erg machine records the stroke speed and helps coaches decide whom to start in the regattas.
These sessions can become so intense that the team once called an ambulance to assist an exhausted rower.
""When we do erg tests, it's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, both physically and mentally,"" Stevens said. ""Nothing could prepare you for some of the things that we as a team have to go through.""
Goff reflected his older teammate's assessment.
""How I relate it to non-rowers is that it is all the endurance of cross country combined with all the explosive strength of football,"" he said.
The crew team begins its spring season Saturday against Michigan on Lake Mendota. But as competitions increase, so too does the struggle to balance school and sports.
""There's time for school, but not for sleep,"" Stevens joked.
Keeping such a tight schedule can also put a strain on the rowers' social lives. There is little time for Friday night partying with early morning practices looming on the horizon.
""It definitely bugs my roommate when I have to get up at 5:30 to go to a 6:30
practice,"" Lang said.
Nevertheless, the three Sun Prairians said they enjoy rowing at a Division I university because it represents the ultimate competitive test.
""Crew is different from any other sport you see in college,"" Goff said. ""You're competing against everybody else on the team throughout the entire offseason. And unlike a football team, where one person making one minor slipup on a play might not affect the entire play ... one weak link in a boat will affect the entire outcome of a race.""
Despite the self-fulfillment rowing has brought this athletic trio, not one placed an oar in water prior to college.
As a high school athlete who played both football and tennis, Stevens received letters from the UW crew coaches urging him to try out. Yet, he hesitated to sign up.
""At first, I didn't want to do it,"" Stevens admitted.
After a talk with coaches during student orientation, the eldest of the team's three Sun Prairie natives decided to give rowing a shot. He survived several grueling practice sessions as coaches trimmed the freshman team from a whopping 150 athletes down to 30.
One year later, he encouraged Goff, a former football teammate who also ran track at SPHS, to go out for the team, where he endured the same rigorous test.In the fall of 2007, the crew team piqued the interest of another former SPHS football player.
""I saw these two guys were on the team,"" Lang said. ""I figured I would know somebody and went out and gave it a try.""
Lang, who also played basketball and track in high school, made the cut.
With Lang on board, the three Sun Prairians officially formed the trio that UW rowing head coach Chris Clark affectionately calls ""Sun Prairie versions 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.""
""It's pretty unique...the fact that they're spread out - junior, sophomore, freshman,"" Clark said. ""I love it. As far as I'm concerned it can go on forever.""
With the Wolverines heading to Madison, the UW crew team is not worried about finding Sun Prairie version 4.0 just yet.
""We've been practicing for five months indoors, and that gets kind of long,"" Stevens said. ""It's always something to look forward to finally get out and race somebody.""
