Jonathan and Madeline were formally introduced by their SUNY Canton cross-country coach on the first day of 2018 pre-season. Busy with move-in day, health clearances, and team meetings, they hardly remember that first hand shake. The next day, their coaches brought the team to their summer camp on an island. After a day of water skiing, egg toss, can jam, and tubing, Jonathan noticed a pretty blonde sitting on the dock and was determined to meet her. During dinner he sat with her and started up a conversation. Madeline recognized him from earlier games as the "very white, farmer's tan boy." They talked about anything Jonathan could possibly come up with...for seven hours. Everyone else had already gone to bed so Jonathan and Madeline slept outside on the mossy ground. Once they returned from this weekend trip, Madeline showed Jonathan around Canton and he bought her lunch. Later that day, he came to her house and helped her family put on their new roof because "he was bored". For the rest of the week Jonathan traveled back and forth from school to Potsdam to help with the roof or jump off bridges with Madeline. One week after the Island meeting, Jonathan asked Madeline to be his girlfriend and the rest is history.

Madeline was itching for a ring in 2019. It didn't happen as a graduation gift, a romantic night on the water at camp, end of camp season, or even their big trip to Canada under the Christmas lights. All hope lost, Madeline went with Jonathan to get their first Christmas tree after church one random Sunday. They hiked up the hill and found the perfect tree. Jonathan wanted a picture with their first tree so Madeline set up her phone on the ground at a distance since no one else was around. Completely unsuspecting, Madeline tried to hand Jonathan the saw for the tree but he wouldn't take it. She looked to where he was supposed to be standing next to her for the picture to find that he was on one knee holding a beautiful ring. Jonathan said since that day on the island, he knew there was something special and asked Madeline to marry him. Taken completely by surprise, of course she said yes!