In high schools and colleges, crew is a sport that's growing in popularity. Twelve high school and five college teams call the boat house at the Three Rivers Rowing Club at Washington's Landing home. Competition in sculling is in singles, doubles and quads. Sweep is when individuals have one oar and competition is held in pairs, fours and eights. A coxswain is in the fours and eights, but pairs races are run with and without a coxswain.
Crew also has two types of races.
Boats leave the starting line at 15-second intervals. Spring brings sprint races. That's when there are six or seven lanes on a river or lake. Sprint races are 1,000 meters long in high school competition and similar to a track meet. Rowing offers many college scholarships for females North Allegheny competes in all seven races.