Using raw talent, teenage runner gets ticket to Orlando
by Mike Jones, Staff Writer, Fauquier Citizen (703-347-5522 x 24)
© 2000 by Mike Jones. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
At
the sound of the gun the runners took off.
The
leaders of the pack jumped out early and settled into a steady pace.
But, one continued to accelerate.
Taking
the outside lane, she passed her competitors and took a big lead.
Panic
struck some of her opponents as they saw the large gap, but others figured
she'd eventually tire and fall behind during the course of the 1,600-meter
race.
But
the leader, 13-year-old Sarah Bowman, maintained her pace. One runner
pulled within feet of her, but gradually dropped behind as the final laps
approached.
With
unbelievable stamina, Bowman stretched the lead and crossed the finish
line nearly 20 seconds before her nearest foe.
In
doing so, the small-framed Warrenton teen finished first at Virginia's
Hershey state track meet Saturday in Charlottesville.
Bowman's
time of 5:24.96 also surpassed the top time at last year's national meet
(5:25.55).
Later
Saturday, she won the 800-meter run in a time of 2:26.23, with the second-place
runner finishing 29 seconds behind her.
With
less than 24 hours of rest, Bowman ran the 1,500-meter at the Amateur Athletic
Union's Region II track championship in Gaithersburg, Md.
Again,
Bowman cruised to an early lead and held it, winning in 4:54.
"It
was great," Gary Bowman said of his daughter's weekend performance. "She
jumps ahead and the other runners panic and try to catch her, but they
get worn out too soon."
His
daughter's time at the AAU meet earned her a spot in the Junior Olympics,
which will take place Aug. 3 in Orlando.
Bowman's
accomplishments may not have seemed so amazing had she competed in the
sport for years.
But,
she started running competitively only two years ago and started training
three weeks in advance for the weekend meets.
"We
don't really know what we're doing," admitted her mother, Gail. "We
haven't really had any training for her."
Sarah
Bowman acknowledges that she doesn't properly pace herself, according to
others' theories.
While
most distance runners purposely trail the leader before going into a "kick,"
Bowman jumps ahead from the start - like a sprinter.
"I
can't stand being behind people. And I try to pull away because I don't
like them close to me.
"I
see their shadow coming up on me and feel them breathing on my neck. It's
annoying," Bowman added.
Despite
the success she's acquired with relative ease, Bowman has maintained an
attitude of humility.
"I've
just always been fast," the soft-spoken runner said shyly. "It's
just a gift God gave me."
Remembering
her daughter's toddler years, Mrs. Bowman said her mother told her she
should start training Sarah for the Olympics.
"It
was because she was so fast," Mrs. Bowman said with a laugh. "She
was joking, but it might be true."
Her
sixth-grade year, Sarah won the mile in Fauquier County's P.E. Olympics
- a track and field event designed for middle schoolers.
"I
thought I'd do OK," Bowman said. "Everyone kept telling me I could do it."
Seeing
her success, Bowman stuck with the sport. She continued to improve
despite the fact she didn't train as most others do.
Her
only form of conditioning came on the soccer field, where she has played
competitively since age 6.
Last
year, Bowman's older sister, Rachel, who ran cross country for Fauquier
High School, suggested she run in the Fauquier Falcon 5K race.
"I
thought she'd do pretty well," 16-year-old Rachel Bowman said. "She
was running right with one of our fastest runners, but then she passed
her. I was like 'Whoa!' "
"That
girl is unbelievable," FHS cross country Coach Mike Stanislaw said. "She
just has a natural talent for long-distance running. Her build and
stamina reminds me of one of the Kenyan runners."
After
receiving encouragement from others to pursue her talent, Bowman's parents
began seeking more opportunities for Sarah.
"We
really didn't know what we were getting into," Mrs. Bowman said.
"We just started looking."
The
Bowmans found races whenever they could and registered their daughter.
Bowman
competed in the women's Goblin Gallop 6-K race in Fairfax last October.
Against
much older runners, Bowman finished fourth in 19:12, just six seconds behind
28-year-old Monica Robbers, who finished third.
Though
she prefers distance running, Bowman doesn't do badly as a sprinter.
In
May, she ran with the Potomac Valley Track Club (PVTC) in the All-Comers
Track Meet at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria. To the surprise
of many, Bowman finished first in the mile (5:25) and the 100-meter
dash in 13 seconds.
"(Bowman)
dominated the meet," said Jay Wind, who heads up PVTC's Youth Clinic Committee.
"If we had an award for MVP, she would have won it . . . . I've been running
track for 20 years and I've never seen that kind of versatility before."
While
she enjoys running, Bowman admits the sport has its drawbacks.
"It's
kinda boring. I just want to get it over with then I like it after I've
won. The competition makes me nervous, too."
"She's
a basket case before races," Mrs. Bowman said with a laugh. "She'll
get so nervous we have to really tell her she can do it, then she's OK."
For
the young Bowman, prayer serves as a comforting escape and confidence builder.
"It
just helps me. I pray before the race and after the race," said Bowman,
a professing Christian. "Mom always tells me to pray when I'm nervous."
A
few years down the road, Bowman has hopes of attending college and running
on a scholarship and possibly pursuing the Olympics.
Former
Liberty track star Jennifer Modliszewiski's accomplishments have inspired
her. Modliszewiski, a rising junior at North Carolina State University,
won the mile at the Group AA state track meet her junior year in a record-setting
time of 4:54.80.
Her
senior year, Modliszewiski clipped over nine seconds off her state record
with a stunning 4:45.99.
Modliszewiski
started her high school career with times around 5:20 before qualifying
for the state meet. She ran the 1,600 in 5:12.2.
"If
she (Bowman) is running like that, winning AAU and Hershey now, she's going
to be pretty competitive when she's older," said Liberty track Coach Ken
Wall, who developed Modliszewiski into a state champion.
"My
mom told me about Jennifer," Bowman said smiling. "I want to do that
too and go to college on a scholarship.
"I
want to make the Olympics one day. But, that's a ways off."
As
Coach Stanislaw predicted: "She's gonna go far."
