An ancient sport with endless scholarships, instant recognition, and arduous practices, rowing is making a comeback and gaining popularity throughout the nation.   

Athletes in general trying to make it as a D1 college athlete while walking on to the team freshman year with a scholarship have very slim chances. Having rowing on a resume and expressing interest in rowing in college is an instant boost to the top of the list for accepting and providing scholarships for students going into college.

Sydney Dark, sophomore, is a current Rower at SLRC (St. Louis Rowing Club) and is now a member of the 2015-2016 Varsity Girls Rowing Team along with Hilary Hightower, sophomore, after having completed a full season as a novice.

“I have met my best friends through rowing. It’s what I look forward to everyday after school from four to six.” said Dark.

Although having never done rowing in the same duration of time that Lauren Vanek c/o 2014 was on the team and starting a year later after Vanek graduated the girls experienced the same trials and tribulations along with the common love for the sport.

“I started spring of junior year for SLRC (St.Louis Rowing Club) I was currently doing club volleyball and a girl on my team told me how she used to row. I was looking for something else to do for a spring sport so my dad suggested that I should just try rowing.,” said Vanek.

Thanks to the various scholarships offered to rowers, Vanek had plenty of options for college rowing.

“After only about three months, I had colleges all over me trying to recruit me, even though I still didn’t fully know what I was doing. However, I knew and they knew I was strong and athletic. I graduated in spring of 2014 and I’m currently on a 75% scholarship at Southern Methodist University which is a division 1 school,” said Vanek.

The schedule of a rower is tough, with numerous hours being used to train for the sport.

“We usually have regular rowing practice on the water two times a day and also weights three times a week. Weights goes for an hour and practice is two hours. Then three hours on Saturday mornings. It all equals twenty hours a week,” said Vanek.

After rising to amoung the top of the Varsity team members, Vanek competed in her first Chicago Sprints in the summer of 2014. This 1,000m race takes place in between Lake Michigan and the Chicago Zoo, with the city skyline in view as you race down the course. Vanek, along with two college freshman, two seniors, two juniors, and Hightower all competed in the first Varsity 8, finishing first in every heat and walking away with a gold metal.