BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Though far from a mainstream sport, crew is gaining popularity throughout the country, and it’s showing on a local stage.

The squad at Manchester Central High school has grown from 12 participants to 80  the last five years, and other schools, including Concord High School, are exhibiting better performance along with increased interest.

And Grayson Richey, a former member of the Concord High School crew team who graduated in 2006 and now helps coach the Crimson Tide, said students are discovering the sport is one of the few athletic endeavors that requires almost entire cohesiveness among its participants.

“A lot of other sports claim to be really team-oriented, but when it comes down to it, the individual skill of one or two people can turn the tide,” said Richey. “When it comes to crew, you need really a perfect harmony between all four or eight people. So it’s probably the most team-oriented sport out there.”

On Saturday, Oct. 13, Concord High School displayed its teamwork on the state’s largest stage, the Amoskeag Rowing Club New Hampshire State Championship.

The men’s junior-novice four finished second with a time of 17 minutes, 38 seconds and the women’s junior-novice eight took bronze with a time of 18:04.

In the men’s junior eight, Concord’s A and B squads both finished in the top 10, at fifth and ninth, respectively, with times of 14:53 and 15:07.

The women’s junior-novice four, with a fourth-place finish and a time of 20:36, and the men’s junior-novice eight, which came in seventh  at 16:53, also posted top-10 efforts.

But getting to a competitive level isn’t easy.

In addition to the painstaking training and regimen, Derryfield coach Elizabeth Dirth said student-athletes are encouraged to avoid sugar, coffee and other stimulants throughout the season.

Richey added that, much like marathon running, rowers often “carb load” the day of and the day prior to competition.

“It’s to get that energy that will stick longer, but not sit in your stomach as long,” he said.