North Catyholic rowers, from left, Emma Nicotra, Julia Riley, Zoe Pezzuolo (coxswain), Keira Krebs and Leah Mansfield show off their third-place medals at the Midwest Championship. Submitted Photo

CRANBERRY TWP — Emma Nicotra and Julia Riley played basketball. Keira Krebs played volleyball. Leah Mansfield is a dancer.

Zoey Pezzuolo is the coxswain and “leader” in the boat.

These five North Catholic High School girls have come together to form the school’s Women’s Jr. 4+ rowing team that has qualified for the Scholastic Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tenn., next weekend. They got there by placing third out of 24 teams at the recent Midwest Championship in Milford, Mich.

This is the first North Catholic rowing team to reach nationals in eight years. Julia is a sophomore and the other four girls are juniors.

“We won the national championship in their division in 1994,” said Frank Sands, North Catholic’s rowing coach since the school formed the program in 1990. “These girls got to meet those girls. That was a neat thing.

“It’s their discipline and dedication to the sport that’s got them where they are. All of these girls are excellent students, too. They are great kids and great friends with each other.”