Halle Sejka '25 Recruiting Profile

My name is Halle Sejka and I am a current rower at Saint Joseph Academy. I started rowing Fall 2021 my Freshman Year. Before that, I played summer softball for 10 years and was a sideline cheerleader for 3 years. I am a team player, and put my all into practice. I strive to improve as a rower, both on and off the water. I'm always looking for feedback from my coaches to get better. In Spring 2022, I rowed with the Freshman 8+ and the boat finished 13th best in the nation. Having this opportunity made me even more determined when returning in the Fall of my sophomore year, knowing that I wanted to compete at Nationals again in the Spring. In Spring 2023, I rowed with the 3rd Varsity 8+ for majority of the season. I also competed with the Lightweight 4+, finishing 7th best in the nation with the 5th best time. The Lightweight category gave me the opportunity to compete at the 2023 SRAA National Championship that I would not otherwise get, being that there was no 3rd Varsity 8+ Category. Being on that boat taught me perseverance. Every time we competed during our spring season, besides Nationals, we would be put in the Junior 4+ category. We were always a bit intimidated, knowing that the category is difficult and that those times would be used to bid our boat into Nationals. Midwest not having a Lightweight Category pushed our boat knowing that every race and every official time was another chance to prove ourselves. In Spring 2024, I had the opportunity to compete again at the SRAA National Championship in the Junior 8+ placing 5th in the nation. The part I love most about rowing is that every race is a new race. If your boat didn't place how you wanted to previously, then it's a new chance to prove yourself. Seeing my older friends rowing in college and getting to compete on a new level gave me the thought and motivation to row on a collegiate level.