Siblings Cassidy, Gavin and Luke Bowers give glory to God as they lead the pack cross-country runners
WATERFORD TWP. – In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul uses an athletic metaphor, urging his audience to “run so as to win the prize" (1 Cor. 9:24). Two millennia later, that message resonates around the Bowers household in Macomb Township.
Cassidy Bowers, a junior at Austin Catholic in Chesterfield Township, is a returning all-state cross-country runner. Her sophomore brother, Gavin, was a state qualifier as a freshman last year.
Together they accomplished a Catholic League first this fall: each won their respective races at the Cardinal Division jamboree on the grounds of Detroit’s historic Fort Wayne on Sept. 16. Gavin took the 5-kilometer race in 17:42.1, five seconds ahead of Ann Arbor Greenhills’ Naveen Kulkarni. Cassidy followed that up with a first-place finish of her own in 20:34.0, leading Allen Park Cabrini’s Deirdre O’Connell by seven seconds. It’s believed to be the first time a brother-sister duo has swept both races since the CHSL adopted the jamboree format in 2009.
But when it comes to talking about their accomplishments like times, places, medals or leading the pack, the duo implies that their favorite part of the sport comes from elsewhere.
“I like running the jamborees because we pray before each race,” Cassidy said after winning the follow-up jamboree race Sept. 25, in 21:14.3 at Hess-Hathaway Farm Park in Waterford. “When we do our big races, not everybody’s a Christian or Catholic, so I just like the small environment of our jamborees. I just think it’s important to do (The Lord’s Prayer) for each race.”
“I like running all the courses, and I’m just glad that God gave me this talent to run, because it’s fun to do,” Gavin said. “Some people don’t want to do it because it’s 3.1 miles, but you get to go to each course and see God’s creation all over.”
When asked to compare her experiences from the first and second league jamborees, Cassidy said, “I think that they’re both the same, because it’s the same people that are welcoming and warm, no matter how you do in the race. It’s a healthy environment to be in.”
Coach Mary Brown had an inkling the pair was in for a good season when they achieved the same accomplishment in their first race of the year, on Aug. 20 at the Anchor Bay Early Bird Invitational. Cassidy has also won three other races this fall, in addition to both jamborees.
“They come out and do whatever it is they want to do, and they try their best on things,” Brown said. “If it’s one of those things where we have a couple of meets in a week, I’ll sit there and say, ‘Now remember, this one, you’ve probably got first, so let’s hang back and not give it everything, so we have more left in the tank for another race later in the week.’”
Cassidy, Gavin and freshman brother Luke each got their start in cross-country at Trinity Lutheran School in Utica. Cassidy, the eldest, recalled that when she was in fifth grade, another teacher noticed that her pace never seemed to slow up while running around the school grounds, and suggested she try running competitively.
“One of the seventh-grade teachers at my school said ‘You should be running cross-country. You just ran across the school parking lot; it’s like half a mile.’ and I went steady the whole way,” Cassidy said. “Then, I started the sport, and I didn’t stop.”
Cassidy’s positive experiences convinced her brothers to follow in her footsteps – literally.
“I started running in fifth grade, so I kind of got dragged in it by her, and that’s when all of our family started running, too,” Gavin said.
When it came time for each of the Bowers to switch schools to Austin as incoming freshmen, it was cross-country that provided the link and, ultimately, a bond with new friends.
“For starters, I’d like to thank Ms. Brown because she was really welcoming,” Cassidy said. “And then it was a super-welcoming team. I would say it was mostly seniors, so they were older, and I first thought maybe I’m not going to be as close with them and maybe they’re not going to talk to me and stuff like that, but they were super-welcoming. I just liked the environment. We’re a close-knit school, so it wasn’t awkward for starting out.”
“It was really nice when they came to our school,” Brown said. “It showed them that just because you’re a freshman doesn’t mean that you can’t be a leader, and some of the kids that were older really tried to keep pace and wanted to also be better. That helped them keep that vibe together as far as being a team.”
Despite running for a small team at a small non-public high school, Cassidy is starting to garner attention for her racing achievements. Her best time of 19:49.5 came at the Macomb County Championship Meet last fall.
“I’m in 11th grade, so I’m hoping colleges will notice,” she said. “Being totally honest, that’s what everyone would want.”
Her dream school is Xavier University of Louisiana, because “it’s the only Catholic HBCU (historical Black college or university).”
“She started out not as good, but then she got better,” Gavin said. “By God’s grace, we both got better and depended on God to help us do what we do.”
Younger sibling Luke, who finished among the top 12 at both jamborees, has the potential to be as successful as his older sister and brother. In the Fort Wayne race, he had the fastest time among all freshmen competing.
“I know he’s going to get better,” Gavin said. “He just has to trust God, trust himself and prepare his mind for each race.”
Outside of running, Cassidy said, “I like playing guitar, and I’m really artsy and craftsy, so I make blankets for my friends, and then I like shopping and designing clothes.” Gavin said, “I like reading and hanging with my friends and listening to Christian music all the time.”
“They’re very good kids,” Brown said. “They keep their grades up and care about their academics and school. They’re involved in many of the clubs and activities that are offered at Austin, so they’re not just into sports. They’re on the robotics team as well. Gavin is also on the Quiz Bowl team; they’re heavily involved in the school. And their parents are very supportive, and they show up at pretty much every race.”
What do the Bowers want to see happen over the rest of the season?
Cassidy said, “Just for everyone to keep going. It gets hard at first, but everybody knows that toward the end of the season is when everything gets good.”
Gavin responded, “Better PRs and winning championships and giving glory to God in everything we do.”
Now, that’s the prize Paul was talking about.
