Senior Stories: Bradley's Leadership Helping Craft Future Success

By Alex Kutchey, Special to MSUSpartans.com

Senior rower Alice Bradley has watched both herself and the Michigan State rowing program transform since she first arrived in East Lansing. Bradley moved from Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, to begin her collegiate career, embracing the challenge of competing in a new country.

She didn't just have to adjust to moving to MSU, but also to being a teammate on a boat with other women. She had rowed for a mixed-gender club in Retford.

"When I rowed at home, I was the only girl on my squad, but being on a team with 60 to 70 girls has shown me how you have to be a better teammate," Bradley said.

Her presence on the team helps not just her current teammates but potential recruits. Bradley mentioned that someone who helped her adjust as a freshman was sophomore, Freya Engel, who was also from England.

"It is always nice to have athletes come from different places," Head Coach Stacey Rippetoe said. "It's very helpful to attract recruits, seeing people come from different backgrounds."

Rippetoe has praised Bradley's growth not just as an athlete, but as a teammate. Although not the coach during Bradley's freshman season, Rippetoe believes that Bradley's evolution as a leader has helped the team work together. Bradley learned communication, being a part of the stern pair, rowing in the seventh position means she has the responsibility of setting the rhythm for her teammates rowing on her side of the boat.

"She's a very visible person; she goes out of her way to talk to her teammates and spend time with them," Rippetoe said. "She goes out of her way to try and be a mentor to them."

Bradley agreed with Rippetoe's view on her growth as a leader. She mentioned her inspiration to lead her underclassmen came from the leaders who came before her. Remembering how her seniors treated her made her want to continue in their leadership.

"You don't realize the impact you have on the girls in their young years," Bradley said. "Watching the older girls be role models made me want to be like them when I got to be an upperclassman."

When Rippetoe was hired as the head coach of the rowing program in the summer of 2023, Bradley said she implemented a more serious program of training than what she experienced during her freshman year. There were longer and more intense practices, with Bradley welcoming the change to help make the team better.

"Everyone on our team has to really try and improve every single day," Rippetoe said. "The team, seeing [Bradley] hungry to improve, sends a strong message to the rest of the team to grow."

Rippetoe's program has continued to improve, and points to Bradley's leadership as an asset. During her freshman season, her varsity eight boat came in last at the Big Ten Championships. Last year the crew placed fifth, even with three new schools competing due to the expansion of the Big Ten.

"She has aspirations well beyond college rowing; she wants to know how to make MSU better so she can make her National Team," Rippetoe said.

Bradley helps guide and motivate her teammates not just to continue upon their Spartan improvements, but with a personal goal in mind – to herself qualify to Great Britain's rowing team. Her success in this goal is tied to her team's speed, meaning she needs to help her team to improve with her. "This program has not just helped me grow strong enough, but also shown me the mental and tactical skills needed for it."

While earning her degree in Kinesiology, Bradley has worked towards building a continued upward trajectory. All of her teammates in the varsity eight boat are upperclassmen, and all faced the changes within the MSU program together. Bradley said that it pushed her further, feeling extra connections to the boat and her teammates. She wants to make sure they don't miss out on anything they can accomplish.

"It's not only about myself but bringing my teammates with me. This boat is special with the girls from my freshman year who experienced a lot of change," Bradley said. "I would hate to look back at the year and think I didn't leave it all out there."

Michigan State University Athletics

Senior Stories: Bradley's Leadership Helping Craft Future Success

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