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Bowman's 4:36 mile furthered girls' distance excellence

By Steve Underwood

2005 Nationals COVERAGE | SPECIAL GIRLS MILE PAGE | GIRLS MILE VIDEO (MOV - WMV) | MEET VIDEO PAGE | MILE PHOTO PAGE | DOUG SPECK STORY

Back in 2005, a prep girls’ sub-4:40 mile was quite the rarity.  Yes, incredibly there had been a pair who smashed that barrier way back in 1982 – the late Kim Gallagher and record-setter Polly Plumer – but then it wasn’t until 2003 that it happened again when Ari Lambie ran 4:37.23. 

On June 18, 2005, however, there was great anticipation as the field lined up for the girls’ mile at the National Scholastic Athletic Foundation’s (NSAF, but then NSSF) outdoor championships – now sponsored by New Balance (formerly Nike).  The group was deep and fast, filled with low-mid 4:40s talent from around the country like Brie Felnagle of Washington (4:40.9 1,600 PR), defending champ Nicole Blood from New York (4:42.40), the previous day’s NON 2M champ Liz Yetzer of Minnesota, fast-rising soph (and future NON champ) Danielle Tauro, NXN XC/Golden West 3,200 champ Ramsey Kavan, future Olympic steeplechaser Bridget Franek, and the list went on and on.

But the prospects of something historic really lay in the hands of one girl, one girl who definitely had the talent to run something insanely fast, one girl you could count on to let ’er rip from the gun.

“In high school, that’s always how I did it,” Sarah Bowman-Brown, a current pro with New Balance, remembers now.  “I went out hard, I always ran from the front.

As a prep, Bowman had already carved out a pretty historic career in middle-distance running.  Her first big splash on the national scene was during 2003, when as a sophomore at Fauquier HS in Warrenton, Va., she was blazing to indoor victories in the 1000 and 1600 in Virginia, then stunned with a 4:49.67 mile at the NSSF’s Nike Indoor (now New Balance Nationals Indoor).  Although she was off form during outdoor nationals, she notched strong PRs of 4:48.69 in taking second in the Penn Relays mile and 4:46.73 in winning the Southern Track Classic.

Bowman’s junior year indoors had ups and downs, but she won Penn in the spring and then really started getting her 800 times down.  At nationals, she rocked a 2:04.94 that was the fastest two-lap performance in the U.S. in eight years.

“I didn’t grow up in a running family,” says Bowman-Brown now.  “They were very supportive, but it was a learning curve for all of us.  I learned a lot during my high school career.  For a while, I was kind of a naive runner.  I didn’t do a lot of mileage at first and I didn’t understand a lot about pacing.”

As a senior, Bowman’s performances got more and more impressive and her range seemed to grow wider.  She ran a US#4 1:33.17 for 600 and won the Nike Indoor mile again in 4:46.79.  But at her Virginia AAA indoor state meet, she had one of the winter’s epic performances in any event with a stunning national record 2:43.40 over 1,000.  In the spring, she won Penn again, went as fast as 2:05.41 over 800 and then 10:16.03 for 3,200.  She ran under 4:45 three times at 1,600.

To that point, only Gallagher had shown that kind of range as a prep and, really, only Mary Cain has done so since to this day.  “I didn’t really think about that kind of thing back then,” she says.  “It was just natural, running 400 or running 3,200.”

So, it was understandable that anticipation was great for the NON mile that June day.  “This may be the deepest group ever gathered for a high school mile at this level,” said the late Doug Speck, announcing that day to the fans gathered in Raleigh, N.C.  “This will be a spectacular event.”

Bowman rocketed out to the lead.  “Determination was written all over Sarah Bowman’s face,” wrote veteran scribe Elliott Denmen on DyeStat.  “I was going out at my own pace and if anybody wanted to stay with me, that was fine with me,” she would say after the race.

She went through the 440 in 67, with Blood and other followers close by, then the gap grew at 880 (2:17) and into the third quarter.  In the final circuit, though, Felnagle began to eat into the lead.

“Brie Felnagle, in second, looks full of run!” Speck cried out.

The Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.) senior was having a breakout season of her own – having won the Arcadia mile in 4:48.42, hitting 4:40.09 and 4:42.28 1,600s in other races, and clocking times ranging from 2:07.90 800 to 10:27.32 3,200.   She hauled down the backstretch and, right about at the 220 to go mark, pulled up behind Bowman.  Around the curve she moved to Bowman’s right shoulder as the crowd whooped. 

But then Bowman dug deep and Felnagle’s surge leveled out.  By the head of the straight, the Virginian had regained control and continued to chase the record.  She fell about a tick and a half shy of Plumer’s 4:35.24 USR, but with a 4:36.95 had run prep history’s third fastest mile (best in an all-high school race) and the best by any prep in 23 years.

After the race, Bowman spoke to John Dye and other media about digging down deep.  “I told myself, ‘You did it this far, you might as well keep going.” After hedging publically about it earlier, she admitted she was going for the record. “I tried, I tried. I wouldn’t have told anyone before the race, but I did want the record.”

The interviews didn’t last long, because honestly Bowman was tapped out. “Right now it’s hard to enjoy. I don’t feel so good,” she said.

Remembers Felnagle now, “I went into the race planning on just staying back with the pack and trying to kick.  Sarah ran with a lot of confidence and did all the work from the start. She was obviously in amazing shape, so I don't know that going with her would have changed the outcome, but I do wish I had raced a little less scared and just gone for it. Putting myself out there in races is definitely something I have had to learn to do over the years and Sarah being able to do that as a high schooler was pretty impressive.

“I have much respect for Sarah and the way she races.”

Regarding chasing the 4:40 barrier, Bowman-Brown says now that at the time she was running to win and that time was not generally a focus, “but I knew Ari Lambie had run under 4:40 a few years earlier.

“At the time, it wasn’t something a lot of high school girls did ... it wasn’t something people talked about,” she continues.  “To be able to break that barrier was exciting.  And I think it was door opener, showing that we can run faster.”

“My whole goal for the year was to break 4:40 in the mile,” says Felnagle. “Although I didn't win the race, being able to get under that barrier and meet my goal definitely made that race my proudest high school accomplishment.”

Felnagle, somewhat like Bowman, appreciates more that race’s place in the evolution of girls’ prep distance running.  “I think that was around the start of a very exciting era for girls running in the US. Now several high school girls have gone 4:40 and well under. It is so awesome to think that Sarah and I were part of that process and so cool to watch!”

Bowman-Brown gives a lot of credit for her high school success to Mike Byrnes, the NSSF co-founder who worked with her on a coaching level later in her prep career.

“He really worked with me and he believe in me,” she says.  “It was great to have him as a coach.  He was very influential and I’ve had great parents, too.”

As most fans know, Bowman-Brown went on to an outstanding career with the Tennessee Lady Vols, piling up SEC titles, NCAA All-American (and Academic All-American) honors and an NCAA indoor mile title in 2009.  She was possibly even better as a relayer: In 2009, the Lady Vols were at their peak with Bowman and a deep crew that included Phoebe Wright, Chanelle Price and more.  They smashed the national DMR record at NCAA Indoors, then at Penn Relays several weeks later crushed the 4x1500 collegiate and American records (also considered a “World Best” for a non-IAAF event), and the 4x800 collegiate and American records.

“I have only positive memories as a Lady Vol,” says Bowman-Brown.  “I had some amazing girls as teammates and there was a special bond we shared with what you go through in a collegiate career.  I was very blessed and fortunate.”

After than exceptional senior year, Bowman turned pro and soon improved her 1500 PR to 4:05.67.  But in the months to follow, she would suffer an injuries to her achilles and more that would keep her out of action for well over a year.  “I missed all of 2011 (and more),” she says.  “I had to take a lot of time off.”

Bowman-Brown was able to finally get back to some level of fitness last June and compete in the finals of the Olympic Trials 1,500.  Now she has scored a fresh PR of 4:05.27 and is excited about going for Team USA for the IAAF Worlds in Moscow this summer.  “I’m in a really good place right now and I’ve had such a great experience with New Balance.  It’s great to be with a sponsor that has believed in me and that takes an interest in the sport at the high school level like they do.”