The drive to succeed is something all champions share. It is a driving force behind why Malvern’s Parker Bowe stood on the podium twice at the OHSAA Division III state track and field meet at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Friday.
That drive is also a reason why Bowe refuses to be satisfied with what was, by any metric, a superb performance in the two events that make up the throwing category: the shot put and discus.
Bowe, a sophomore, placed second in the shot put with a personal-best attempt of 60 feet, 1 inch — a mark only surpassed by Liberty Center’s Hunter Spangler, who threw 63 feet, 1.25 inches. Bowe then returned and qualified for the discus, holding down the second spot until the very last attempt, when McDonald’s Drew Zajack uncorked the winning throw of 178 feet, 3 inches.
Bowe’s silver and bronze medals accounted for all of the Hornets’ 14 points, which slotted Malvern in a tie for 14th place. While he grudgingly acknowledged his accomplishments, Bowe is not the sort to rest on those laurels.
“It’s pretty big,” Bowe conceded of his two top-three finishes. “Last year was a rough year. Last year, I went fourth place [in the discus] and then 11th, and didn’t even qualify for the finals in shot put. This year, taking second is huge, so now, we just need to get back to work and get ready for next year.”
On Friday, Bowe’s second shot put attempt had him firmly in second place behind Spangler, as they were the only two athletes to crack the 60-foot barrier. A year ago in the shot put, Bowe’s best effort of 51 feet, 4.5 inches barred him from advancing to the finals. And for a year, that disappointing finish festered in Bowe’s thoughts.
“I’m always going for gold, but this year my goal was just to make the finals,” he said. “And I don’t know how I did it today, to be honest. I PR’d three different times in the prelims, and then my shortest throw was 58 feet, which is a big PR for me, and then 60 feet, finally.”
After the silver, Bowe was ready for the discus. But so were Zajack and Bascom Hopewell-Loudon’s Aiden Ewald, who both recorded personal bests in the event. Bowe’s best attempt occurred on his third and final preliminary throw, which placed him a mere 9 inches behind Ewald. That was, of course, until Zajack’s last throw in the final round allowed him to leapfrog Ewald and Bowe.
“It was a competitive field beyond belief,” Bowe said. “For a guy to go and win it on his last throw — not a lot of guys can do that. And I tried to be the guy today, and I worked myself and couldn’t catch up with it.”
Despite the plentiful accolades he’s already accumulated, it can be difficult to remember that Bowe is only halfway through his high school journey. With two more chances at state and the competitive fires burning this bright, count on Bowe to find his way to the top of the podium.
