Q&A With Abby Wieber
4/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
April 28, 2006
Abby Wieber adds a tenacious work ethic and a competitive drive to Michigan State's rowing team. Wieber's work ethic carried over into the classroom, which led to her receiving the 2006 President's Award, given to MSU's top senior student-athletes at the Student Athlete Support Services Academic Gala. Up next for Wieber is a fourth trip to the Big Ten Championships, (held this season in St. Paul, Minn. on April 29), where she and the Spartans will look to defend their 2005 title.
Q: How did you first become interested in rowing?
A: I ran track in high school, and when I first thought about coming to Michigan State, I heard about rowing through some counselors at MSU. I talked to my coach about it and he wrote a letter to assistant coach Stacey Rippetoe, which led her to contact me. I stayed in contact with her after the phone call, ended up coming to tryouts, and the rest is history.
Q: What did receiving the President's Award feel like?
A: It's an honor. Over the last four years, there were times I felt like it wasn't worth it to work so hard in class, but receiving the President's Award puts all that hard work into better perspective. It's really neat.
Q: How difficult is it to balance academics and athletics?
A: Sometimes I feel like I have no time, but I think crew helps me balance my time. If I know I have practice, class, and a part-time job, it helps me keep everything in order. I'm a procrastinator, and I'd be up late every night if rowing didn't keep my schedule balanced. With everything I have to do, when I get two hours of free time, I know I have to sit down and get my homework done, or it won't get done.
Q: How do you feel knowing the 2006 postseason is your last at Michigan State?
A: It hasn't really hit me yet. This has been a big part of my life for the last four years, and I remember thinking last year going into these hard practices before the Big Ten Championship that the seniors never had to go through that again, and I thought they were lucky. Now that it's me, it's sad. The work is hard, but it's definitely worth it, and I'm trying to just enjoy everything as much as I can. Next year, it's going to be hard standing on the sidelines knowing I can't compete anymore.
Q: What are some things you'd like to accomplish before the end of the rowing season?
A: I would really like for my boat to win its individual race at the Big Ten Championships this year. Every other year, my boats have come in second, and I'd really like to bring home a gold medal.
Q: Which aspect of college life are you going to miss the most?
A: Definitely the time I spend with the rowing team. I love competing and the people that I row with every day. I've met people in class during my four years here, but my best friends are all on the team, and they're all great people. I'm definitely going to miss them.
Q: What's your favorite rowing memory so far?
A: Last year's Big Ten Championships. I remember everything about that day. The team championship came down to the varsity eight race, and I couldn't see the end of the race from where I'd been watching. They announced the times and we couldn't really hear, and I was afraid to look behind me at the scoreboard, but when I did turn around, all these people in green were jumping up and down. Since we're the only team in the Big Ten that wears green, we knew it was us, that we'd won it all, and it was a great feeling.
Players Mentioned
