BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
AUSTIN — During a day in which almost nothing went according to plan, Joshua McGowen’s silver lining was a history-making gold medal.
The McAllen High senior woke up Saturday prepared to compete at the UIL state meet in three events over a six-hour span. But a series of lightning storms caused a five and a half hour delay, scrunching McGowen’s once manageable schedule into a bum-rush that took him to every corner of Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Despite the taxing to-do list, McGowen turned loose during his final race as a Bulldog, placing first in the Class 6A boys 300-meter hurdles in 36.42 seconds, setting an all-time Valley record in the process. The previous record of 36.46 was set by Harlingen High’s Randy Bermea in 2011.
McGowen ran at the front of the pack for the duration of the race and was challenged by William Watson of Belton in the closing meters. But as Watson stumbled over the final hurdle, McGowen cleared his last obstacle in surgical fashion.
“Getting into the blocks and stuff, I just knew I had to keep it fast,” McGowen said. “I had to keep it moving, and it all came down to that last hurdle. I could have either gotten second or first depending on that last jump, but he fell and that was just my chance.”
In an act of sportsmanship, McGowen helped Watson off the track before walking to the podium to collect gold.
The state meet caps a sensational season for McGowen, who graduates holding the Valley record in the 300 hurdles and the triple jump (48 feet, 4 1/2 inches). McGowen also set the second-fastest Valley time in the 110 hurdles on Saturday, doing so in a silver-medal winning effort in 13.82.
Hurdling is McGowen’s specialty, and he has run such races at meets the world over — from the junior Olympics in Germany to the state track meet in North Carolina. But the well-traveled athlete was still struck by the level of competition found in the Lone Star State.
“I’m a newcomer to Texas, so the level of talent was something I had to get used to,” McGowen said. “I’m truly happy with my performances in everything that I’ve done to get here.”
Sandwiched by the hurdling races was the long jump, wherein McGowen placed fifth with a distance of 22-10 1/4. That performance was one spot better than his go in the triple jump on Friday. While McGowen looked robust in the hurdles, he was visibly plagued by shin pain in the jumping events.
Such pains come with the territory for an athlete tasked with doing so many events, and McGowen felt his body begin to betray him at the regional meet in San Antonio earlier this month. At one point, McHi coach Bob Bechtold tried to pull his stud athlete from the long jump to keep his legs fresh for the 300. McGowen caved, but soon reversed his decision.
“This was his final meet, so ultimately I left it in his hands,” Bechtold said. “He knows his body and his limitations. If he wants to go out there, he’s not going to let anybody stop him.”
Indeed, rare is the occasion in which anyone got in McGowen way’s this year. Wherever he went, a small circus of fellow athletes, coaches, spectators and media usually followed. To witness McGowen was to almost witness theater. Before jumps, he’d often encourage the crowd to clap, a colorful display to enhance his frequent gold-medal performances.
McGowen will play football at Stephen F. Austin in the fall, and is apprehensive regarding track at the collegiate level. Still, if this is the last time he’ll compete in full force, the youngest child in his family went out obeying his parents.
“We’ve been telling him, ‘Don’t get to the big dance and then not dance,’” Joshua’s mother Emma said. “Don’t do all this work and put in all this practice to show up and not dance. Go out there and get what’s yours.”