Scarano smiles for a picture on his signing day. Provided by: Nicholas Scarano

For many athletes, their athletic passions begin at a very early age through youth sports, whether that be t-ball or gymnastics classes. However, this journey looked completely different for senior Nicholas Scarano who started his crew career in his freshman year and now, four years later, is committed to Marist College where he will row at the Division 1 level.

During the 2024 crew season, Scarano achieved major personal and school records. He competed at the largest rowing event in the world held in Boston, the Head of the Charles Regatta, for his second year in a row. Additionally, he set new school records for rowing the 2k in 6:25.3 and the 5k in 17:34.00.

“In high school my individual goal was to become the best rower I possibly could be and I think I definitely did that,” Scarano said. “I set a record for the school and got recruited at the D1 level.”

While working to improve his individual rowing status, Scarano continued to be a stand-out teammate. He set good examples to the younger rowers and was never shy to encourage his teammates at practices and competitions.

“Nicholas is an outstanding teammate,” senior rower Charlotte Aeder said. “As captain of both the crew and swim team, he is the epitome of a leader and role model. He elevates the whole team’s performance and inspires others to perform better.”

By the time Scarano was a sophomore, he quickly became the fastest rower on the team. While his form when rowing on the water needed improvement, he began to see the potential in his rowing abilities.

“During sophomore year, the two fastest kids put me in between them because they wanted me to try and pace with them, but I outpaced both of them, becoming the fastest on the team,” Nicholas Scarano said. “This was the first time I realized that I might actually be good at rowing, making that year a major turning point when I realized that I could be fast if I applied myself in the right ways.”

Before entering his junior year, Scarano began his recruitment process. For high school athletes, the earliest they can begin to reach out to recruits is during the summer in between their sophomore and junior years. Scarano put himself out there through sharing his recruiting profile, where coaches were capable of viewing his statistics and rowing updates without contacting him directly.

“My process involved a lot of emails, phone calls, and just putting my name out into coaches hands as much as possible,” Nicholas Scarano said. “I talked to a lot of schools in all three divisions over the two year period but the schools that made it all the way through the process that I ended up taking official visits to were Holy Cross, Marist, and Iona.”

As a crew captain, Scarano inspired underclassmen, especially his younger brother, freshman Julian Scarano. This year, Julian Scarano joined the crew team which created a special bond between the brothers. The Scarano brothers spend hours in and on the water together, as they are also both members of the Swim and Dive team.

“Playing sports with Nicholas has always been one of my favorite things to do, but because of our age gap we have not always been able to be on the same team,” Julian Scarano said. “But so far this year I have been able to row for WA with him and I have been able to swim for WA with him.”

Not only was last fall’s crew season a success for Nicholas Scarano, but also for seniors Elizabeth Bellomy who is committed to Sacred Heart University for rowing and Aeder who will be continuing her athletic journey as a rower at the University of Rhode Island. All three of these athletes are leaving a legacy behind at WA, influencing high school rowers.

“With Nicholas, Elizabeth Bellomy, and myself all being recruited to Division I schools, we provide a tangible example for younger WA rowers,” Aeder said. “Seeing peers at the collegiate level is a powerful motivator for aspiring athletes.”

Becoming a collegiate athlete comes with discipline and dedication, and Scarano is a disciplined athlete to say the least. Throughout the last two summers, he spent hours on end practicing rowing with a high performance group in preparation for the chance of recruitment.

Scarano has been juggling a heavy course load throughout his senior year while balancing the three varsity sports he participates in. With crew being his sport of highest priority, Scarano has devoted early mornings and late nights to getting reps in, and maintaining his status of being the best rower he can be.

“There seem to be no days off for Nicholas,” Aeder said. “One morning, he’ll be rowing, and that afternoon he’s racing at a swim meet. The next day, he’s studying for one of his many honors, AP, and dual enrollment courses, all while finding time for extracurricular activities like DECA.”

Scarano views Marist College as the perfect match for him. When taking an official visit to the campus and meeting members of the current crew team, Scarano immediately felt welcomed and could picture himself at the school. In addition, Marist’s business program is highly accredited, and ​​Business Administration and Management is the school’s most popular major, being the one Scarano plans on majoring in.

Throughout Scarano’s high school years, crew has been a major part of his life. He has been able to create unbreakable bonds with his teammates, and construct a work ethic that earned himself a spot on the D1 Marist College Crew Team. In his next steps as a rower, Scarano aims to win a league championship with his new team while continuing to grow on an individual scale.

“There is nothing else quite like rowing across all of the other sports I have played,” Nicholas Scarano said. “Every single person needs to work together and you all need to put everything on the line for each other if you want to win. I love the feeling of rowing and how each person involved in the sport shows up each day with the same intensity and drive.”