Athlete and academic

<p>Hugh Dowdy’s most impressive number is not the course record 15:00 he ran in his first cross country meet of the season at Rancho Cotate High or the Redwood Empire best ever 15:48 he ran over the state-meet course at the Clovis Invitational or any of his other record-setting numbers. His most impressive number is his 4.8 grade point average.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Dowdy is the Redwood Empire’s best boy cross country runner, and one of the best ever at Petaluma High School, a school well-known for its outstanding distance runners. He is on the verge of running his way into the state cross country championships, and has a legitimate chance of earning a medal at the state competition.</p><p>But more than that, he is an excellent student and a thoughtful, mature young man.</p><p>“He is an outstanding young man. He is a very thoughtful and bright person. He is very personable, and has a great work ethic,” says Petaluma High cross country and track coach Jim Lynch. </p><p>His cross country accomplishments are impressive, but no more so than his academic achievements, which include this semester, five AP classes and a class at Santa Rosa Junior College.</p><p>He says academics come fairly easily to him. “I don’t worry about psychology, physics and calculus,” he says honestly. “English and history are hardest for me.”</p><p>Running has been more difficult. </p><p>He didn’t run at all as a freshman. Mike Carroll, a Petaluma track standout who is two years older than Dowdy, talked him into trying running in his sophomore year and he has stuck with it, improving each year.</p><p>He was bothered by tendonitis in his knee as a sophomore, and last year battled a hurting back. Still, he was an integral part of a Petaluma team that won the Sonoma County League title, was second in the North Coast Section and third in the state meet. Dowdy ran in the shadow of team leader Sterling Lockert and his nearly-as-talented twin brother Devin Lockert. </p><p>After what he acknowledges was a disappointing track season as a junior, he worked hard during the off season, often running as many as 70 miles a week during his training. </p><p>In his first meet of his senior season, he broke Lockert’s course record at Rancho Cotate and has hardly been pushed since then. </p><p>“I took some big steps between my track and cross country seasons,” he says. “It had a lot to do with my summer training. I did a lot of training during the summer.”</p><p>As his and his team’s success grew, he goals changed. </p><p>“At the start of the year I had hopes for placing in the top 10 at state,” he notes. “Then I decided to wanted to be in the top five. Now I think it is conceivable I could be in the top two or three.”</p><p>Dowdy runs in the North Coast Section meet this weekend, with Petaluma needing a third-place or better to qualify for state, “a very reachable goal,” according to Dowdy.</p><p>“I think we’ve surprised everyone,” he says of his team. “The guys have been really dedicated. They really want to do something as a team.”</p><p>Dowdy admits he has been motivated by a pursuit of Sterling Lockert’s school and league records. “Sterling’s records have been a big factor,” he says. “One of my big goals was to beat his records.”</p><p>At NCS, he will renew his rivalry with Novato’s Eric Olsen, one of the state’s most highly rated high school distance runners. Olsen beat the Petaluman by 10 seconds in a big meet earlier in the year, but Lynch thinks Dowdy can give the Marin runner a good challenge. </p><p>Dowdy says simply, “I’m just going to try to stick with him and give it all I can.”</p><p>With a 4.48 grade point average and a growing reputation as a high school distance runner, Dowdy has a bright college future. “I’m keeping my options open,” he says. One thing he does know is that running will always be a part of his life.</p><p>“The other day I was running with a friend. I was just out there running for fun. I had kind of forgotten that running is fun. I’m sure it is always going to be there,” he says. </p><p>(Contact John Jackson at acsports@arguscourier.com)</p>