The King graduate kept her focus on athletics and academics despite the rigorous demands of both.
By EMILY NIPPS
Published June 19, 2004
Study, study, study.
Train, train, train.
It may not be the most wild and carefree way to spend one's high school days, but it works for Laura Bowerman.
Even a couple of injuries the past few years did not lead the teen astray from her sole focus in life, which was to excel at running while maintaining near-perfect grades at King.
Bowerman's personality - intense, patient and extremely driven - is typical of distance runners, but it is her plow-ahead work ethic that always placed her a cut above.
"There are other girls who are more talented runners than she is," said her father, Richard Bowerman. "But her willingness to work hard, I think, really set her apart."
That, and her refusal to cower to the many strains, sprains and pulls that sidelined her at various stages of her career.
"Even when she was hurt, quitting was the furthest thing from her mind," Richard Bowerman said.
As a sophomore in 2002, about a year after she discovered running, Bowerman suffered from a sore hip and painful Achilles' tendon. Daily exercises in the pool got her back to full strength by cross-country season the following fall.
It was that season she won her first state title in cross country. Then, in spring, she won a state track title in the 3,200-meters event, beating the runnerup by 22 seconds.
During her senior cross-country season, she won the USF/Jesuit Invitational and Don Bishop Invitational titles. Later in the season, though, she strained her ankle and calf muscle, and it was back into the pool. She paddled and kicked in the deep end to keep her heart and body conditioned and was back in time for the postseason.
Bowerman won the district and region meets, then won a Class 3A title in the 3,200 meters by 28 seconds. She also finished runnerup in the 3,200 at the state track meet in the spring.
On top of all the training, re-training and competing, Bowerman worked to keep her Bright Futures scholarship, which will pay for her tuition and books at Florida State in the fall. She graduated from King's International Baccalaureate program with a 3.79 unweighted GPA, 6.79 weighted.
Given the chance to do it all over, Bowerman might have reconsidered the I.B. program, which places much higher standards and workloads on students. Yet, at times, her demanding academic schedule may have helped her stay focused when it came to her athletic life, and vice versa.
"Sometimes, it goes both ways," said Bowerman, who is considering biology and psychology as college majors. "If I have a big test coming up, it compromises my running."
Richard Bowerman expects his daughter's life to get easier in college. There, her academic workload likely will be simplified to make way for a stronger running career ... and perhaps a bit of fun along the way.
TIMES'ALL-ACADEMICGIRLSTEAMBRITTANY STAHL SCHOOL: St. Petersburg Catholic
GPA: 3.98, (4.37 weighted)
SPORTS: Softball, golf
NOTABLE: Gatorade "Will to Win" Athlete and her team's most improved athlete. All-county second team in softball. On Principal's Honor Roll, won Miguel de Cervantes Spanish and Principal's Leadership awards. Was National Honor Society president, Spanish Honor Society secretary.
PLANS: Will attend Florida State.
MEGHAN KLAVANS SCHOOL: Shorecrest
GPA: 3.77
SPORTS: Basketball, volleyball, track
NOTABLE: All-Bay Conference past two years in basketball and won Fran Risser Award as top female scholar athlete at Shorecrest in 2003. Smith Book Award winner in '03 and was 14th in Florida National French Exam. Member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Spanish Honor Society and French Honor Society. PLANS: Will attend Vanderbilt.
KIM DUPPER SCHOOL: Osceola
GPA: 3.7, (4.3 weighted)
SPORTS: Volleyball, softball, soccer, flag football
NOTABLE: Captain of softball and volleyball team for two years; was nominated for Wendy's Heismann Award and Florida High School Athletic Association All-Academic team. Member of National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society. Is listed in Who's Who among High School Students and a Bright Futures Candidate.
NOTABLE: Was named IRC's volleyball MVP six times and was five-time all-conference volleyball. Selected as a Pinellas County Volleyball All-Star and received scholarship to play volleyball. Was district and region champion in the shot put and holds the school shot-put record. Was on the honor roll and a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
PLANS: Will attend Charleston Southern.
KARLEY COUNTS SCHOOL: Clearwater
GPA: 3.72 (4.44 weighted)
SPORT: Basketball
NOTABLE: Played four years of varsity basketball and was on three state final four Tornadoes teams. Selected as a Pinellas County Senior All-Star. Was on the Dean's List and a member of the National Honor Society, Crest Club and Program of International Culture and Commerce. Was also a volunteer at Belleair Elementary School and Belleair Recreation Center.
PLANS: Will attend Florida.
CARA SULLIVAN SCHOOL: Countryside
GPA: 3.98 (4.82 weighted)
SPORTS: Track, cross country, basketball, tennis, flag football
NOTABLE: Played on the Cougars' two-time (2001-02) state championship tennis team. Was team captain for cross country and basketball. Was class salutatorian and named an All-American Scholar and Advanced Placement Scholar. Won the Principal's Award and Air Force Math and Science Award. Was a member of National Honor Society, student government and the Marine Biology Club.
PLANS: Will attend Boston College.
JACQUELINE SMITH SCHOOL: St. Petersburg Catholic
GPA: 4.0 (4.4 weighted)
SPORTS: Swimming, diving, track, soccer
NOTABLE: State qualifier and district champion in diving. Set school track records in seven events. Was 300-meter hurdles district champion and track region qualifier in five events. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Was recognized for physical science and chemistry by the National Science Olympiad and recognized by the National Student Leadership Conference in 2003.
PLANS: Will attend Florida.
JESSICA BYRN SCHOOL: Countryside
GPA: 4.0 (4.82 weighted)
SPORT: Softball
NOTABLE: Played four years of varsity softball. Played for the Cougars' 2002 state championship softball team and two-time PCAC championship team. Was class valedictorian and named an Advanced Placement Scholar and the Principal's Award. Was a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. Volunteers at McMullen Booth Elementary School.
PLANS: Will attend Babson College.
BONNI CARNEY SCHOOL: Northeast
GPA: 3.98 (4.6 weighted)
SPORTS: Volleyball, flag football
NOTABLE: Finished third out of 293 students in her class. One of 12 girls named to the Florida High School Athletic Association Academic All-State team. Played volleyball and flag football all four years. Named all-conference and all-county in volleyball. Runnerup in the Junior Sun Goddess Pageant this year.
PLANS: Will attend Carson-Newman College.
BEVIN BLACK SCHOOL: Northside Christian
GPA: 3.82, (4.1 weighted)
SPORTS: Soccer, cross country.
NOTABLE: Was an All-County selection in soccer and was team MVP as a junior. Won school's Academic Excellence Award and Outstanding Student Award. Was senior class vice president and served as an officer in the Key Club and the National Honor Society.
PLANS: Will attend Florida.
CHRISTIAN YEPES SCHOOL: Shorecrest
GPA: 3.78 (3.9 weighted)
SPORT: Tennis
NOTABLE: Has played varsity tennis since the seventh grade. Was tennis team MVP and team captain. He was a two-time state qualifier and two-time district champion and was won All Bay Conference honors for the past four years. Was a member of Quill and Scroll, National Honor Society Mu Alpha Theta and president of the Spanish Honor Society. Named a National Merit Scholar.
PLANS: Will attend Central Florida.
CHIP BRINKMAN SCHOOL: Clearwater Central Catholic
GPA: 3.6
SPORTS: Football, basketball
NOTABLE: Named first team all-state football defense and earned a full football scholarship to a Division I school. Selected as a Pinellas County Football All-Star. Played four years of varsity basketball. Was president of the Chess Club and a member of the National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society and Big Brothers, Big Sisters Pinellas County.
PLANS: Will attend Wake Forest.
MICHAEL TYLMAN SCHOOL: Shorecrest
GPA: 4.16 (4.27 weighted)
SPORTS: Cross country, soccer, track
NOTABLE: Was a three-time state cross country state qualifier and three-time track state qualifier. Holds school records in four events including the 400-meter, 800-meter and two relays. Named to the Headmaster's List and John Lynch Award Winner. Was a member of the Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Key Club.
PLANS: Will attend Vanderbilt.
MICHAEL MINKOFF SCHOOL: St. Petersburg Catholic
GPA: 3.98 (4.17 weighted)
SPORTS: Football, track, wrestling
NOTABLE: Was co-captain of the football team. Made the Principal's Honor Roll every quarter and a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Participated in Boy's State and was awarded the Franciscan Fraternity Award for fostering community. He is also a certified scuba diver and student pilot.
PLANS: Appointed to the U.S. Coast Guard.
SAM SECORD SCHOOL: St. Petersburg Catholic
GPA: 3.58 (3.9 weighted)
SPORTS: Cross country, track
NOTABLE: Was the 2004 Class 2A 800-meter champion and is the school-record holder in the 800 meters. Was a district champion in the 400 meters and 800. Named track team MVP. Was a member of Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society and student government. He was on the Principal's Honor Roll and is an Eagle Scout.
PLANS: Deciding between Florida and Auburn.
NOLAN BRANNON SCHOOL: St. Petersburg
GPA: 3.83 (4.47 weighted)
SPORTS: Baseball, golf, soccer
NOTABLE: Finished 8th out of 277 students in the school's general academic program. Played baseball, golf and soccer all four years. First-team all-county selection in baseball as a junior and senior. Voted MVP of baseball team as junior and senior.
PLANS: Undecided.
MATTHEW BURNAM SCHOOL: Clearwater
GPA: 4.0 (4.76 weighted)
SPORTS: Baseball
NOTABLE: Salutatorian of his class. Named to Dean's list all four years. Member of National Honor Society, Crest Club, Spanish Club, Art Club. Received Florida Medallion Scholars Award and Scholar Athlete award. Earned varsity letter as member of baseball team.
PLANS: Will attend Georgia Tech.
MATT SITTON SCHOOL: Indian Rocks Christian
GPA: 3.56
SPORTS: Baseball, football, soccer, track
NOTABLE: MVP of football and baseball team. MVP of soccer team in 2003. Named top health, physical education and science student. Member of National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Solid Rock Ministry team.
PLANS: Undecided.
ALEX TILBROOK SCHOOL: Osceola
GPA: 3.82
SPORTS: Diving and swimming
NOTABLE: State champion in diving in 2003. State runnerup in 2001 and 2002. Member of French National Honor Society. District and conference champion the last three years. Named All-American the last two years. Participated in USA vs. Canada Diving Championships in May of 2003.
PLANS: Will attend Florida State.
CLAYTON HOFSTRA SCHOOL: St. Petersburg
GPA: 3.92 (4.76 weighted)
SPORTS: Cross country, track.
NOTABLE: Finished fourth out of 114 students in the school's International Baccalaureate program. A district champion in the mile and district runnerup in the 2-mile. City champion in cross country. He was also selected to represent West Florida in Senior All-Star meet at Florida State.
