From First Wrestling Match to College Mat: Maddy Jansen Finds Her Path

Our newsroom runs on more than coffee and craft beer — it runs on you. Support Decorah News' local reporting today. DECORAH — Madalin Jansen's foray into wrestling happened in the ninth grade. She had just completed a successful cross country season when one of her friends asked Maddy to join the wrestling team with her because she did not want to try it alone. Neither Maddy nor her friend had ever wrestled a day in their lives. Maddy, in an effort to support her friend, said, "Sure, I'll try it with you." Fast-forward three years, and Jansen, a standout high school student-athlete at South Winneshiek High School, received a call from Coach Ryan Timmerman, the head women's wrestling coach at Luther College. With no plans of wrestling post-high school, Jansen politely declined Timmerman's recruitment efforts, choosing cross country in college instead, a sport she loves for the camaraderie and family-like atmosphere as much as the running itself. Jansen told Timmerman, "I'm not interested in wrestling, but maybe I can be the manager or something." But then she had a change of heart. Jansen said she could not imagine not wrestling, and so she reached back out to Timmerman, who was excited about the prospects of her joining the team. "Maddy was one of the very first recruits I had a conversation with after I was hired," Timmerman said. "Right away I could tell she was a competitor, and when I saw her wrestle I could tell she's got the grit I want on my team." However, that "grit" on the mat was something Jansen had to learn alongside her takedowns and reversals. And she learned it early in her career as a freshman. At the state qualifying tournament, Jansen said, "I was so emotional and would cry before every match. My coaches said to me, 'Just stop crying and go pin people.'" She took their advice to heart. After that, Jansen went undefeated at the state qualifier and, in fact, punched her ticket to state in her first year. Like cross country, it felt like both an individual and team effort. About her wrestling teammates, Jansen said, "Their wins felt like my wins. It was great." That emotion is what makes Jansen a great teammate in both sports. About her cross country career, Jansen said, "I love the tight-knit group, the trail runs and winning state—hugging, crying and cheesing out." Jansen is looking forward to both sports in college, and she is especially excited to be entering Luther and, right away, being on a family-like cross country team. Cross country starts a couple of weeks before classes begin. Coach Yarrow Pasche, head women's cross country coach at Luther, echoed some of the same sentiments as Timmerman: "Maddy's a gem of a person and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to coach her in the seasons ahead! She exudes positivity, enthusiasm and a willingness to take on challenges and hard work with determination, grit and a sense of fun," Pasche said. At Luther, Jansen plans to major in elementary education with a special education endorsement. About being a two-sport athlete in college, Jansen said, "I'm excited to be part of these teams and to learn and compete." Make your inbox your go-to for local news! Sign up for the free newsletter and get timely updates, special features, and more.