Mile posts: Erik Sowinski grateful for Iowa City support as national championships await
Erik Sowinski feels so comfortable with Iowa City that he's decided to pull up roots in the university community.
The former University of Iowa track and field all-American recently purchased a townhome in the Johnson County seat and is set to move into his new digs at the end of July.
"I'm excited about that," Sowinski said in a sit-down interview with me recently.
He's also thrilled about this week, when he will compete for a chance to make the U.S. team that will take part in the IAAF World Championships at Beijing in late August. The goal is a top-three finish in the 800 meters at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. The first round of the 800 is Thursday and the semifinals Friday, with the final Sunday afternoon.
"That would be the No. 1 goal from day 1 of the start of the season," Sowinski said of making his first USA outdoor world championship team. "We set things up this year to peak at the right time. I'm excited to see what happens."
The 25-year-old Sowinski will have to contend with an 800 field that could be the best in our nation's history. The top challengers figure to include two-time Olympian and four-time world championship participant Nick Symmonds; Duane Solomon, the U.S. champion at the previous two competitions; Casimir Loxsom, who dominated this year's major indoor competitions and owns a season best of 1:46.23; Boris Berian, who burst onto the scene by running 1:45.3 at the Payton Jordan Invitational and followed that by running 1:43.81, best among Americans in 2015, at the recent adidas Grand Prix in New York; and Charles Jock, who owns a national runner-up best of 1:45.58 for 2015 at the Ponce Grand Prix.
"I think it's (field) deeper than it's ever been," Sowinski said. "Right now there's any one of 10 and 12 guys who could make the team. It's going to be tough to make the finals, let alone the top three. Some of these collegiate guys are running really well."
Unlike past years, Sowinski has brought a low-key approach to the early part of his season. He estimates he ran about half the number of indoor meets of a year ago. His most recent performance was a sixth-place effort in 1:48.20 in the Diamond League race in Birmingham, England, on June 7. The goal was to peak this week and ride that momentum into some European races leading into the world championships.
"My first year out of college it was trying to run faster indoors at the beginning of the year," Sowinski said. "I think I kind of faded (outdoors). Last year was kind of the same thing, indoors championships were the big thing. I ran really faster at the beginning of the year, think I kind of faded again at the end of the year.
"We set things up this year to peak at the right time. I'm in a different position than I've been in. I'm excited to see what happens."
His indoor season included one very big highlight, however, when he teamed with Matthew Centrowitz, Mike Berry and Pat Casey to run a world record in the distance medley relay at the Armory Track Invitational on Jan. 31. Sowinski ran a 1:47.60 leg that helped the U.S. relay run 9:13.93 and crush the former record of 9:25.97 set by the University of Texas in 2008 with a 9:19.93 effort.
Sowinski also ran a dominant 1:44.75 split to help the U.S. men's relay that included Solomon, Loxsom and Robby Andrews claim the 4x800 at the IAAF World Relays Championships in the Bahamas in early May.
"I get to race against those guys so many times during the year," Sowinski said. "They're such great guys on and off the track. To come together on a team with USA on your jersey, it makes it that much better."
Sowinski never could have foreseen such success while starting his senior year at Waukesha West in Wisconsin. Sowinski, a soccer and basketball player until his sophomore year, was looking at Division III schools until he won the 800 meters at the 2008 Wisconsin state meet as a senior.
Iowa was the only Big Ten university offering him scholarship money, but that alone wasn't enough to convince Sowinski at the beginning.
"It came down to Iowa and Wisconsin. I had sent all of my paperwork in July to Wisconsin," Sowinski said. "They (Wisconsin) wanted me to try out for the team, which was fine. I had a lot of friends going there, it was close to home, an hour away from where I grew up. Then we went on a family vacation for a week. I had a huge change of heart."
Sowinski wanted the security of knowing he would be on a university team. He also liked the physiology department, his major, and the campus. He also really liked the background of assistant coach Joey Woody, a top U.S. 400-meter hurdler.
"We decided what would be best for me was to follow my heart and go to Iowa," he said.
Sowinski gradually improved at Iowa during his career, with the culmination a runner-up finish in the 800 meters at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He also set school records in the 600 and 800 meters while helping Iowa win the Big Ten outdoor title his junior season.
"Career highlight? I think so. If it's not No. 1, it's right up there," Sowinski said of the Big Ten team championship. "We kind of showed how close we were as a team. I really connected with the team when I was there."
Sowinski decided to put off medical school - and likely a focus on cardiology - after that NCAA runner-up finish. He took a full-time job at the Running Wild store in Iowa City while continuing to work out with Woody as his coach. His performances soon impressed Nike enough to land a sponsorship with the swoosh, and his running store job became a part-time gig.
"Running Wild played such a big role for me early in my career," he said. "They were always there for me. But there're no way I could do it without them (Nike). I'm extremely thankful for Nike's support."
He feels the same about Iowa City. Sowinski feels so ingrained in the community that he can't imagine training anywhere else. The partnership with Woody has been going strong for seven years.
Sowinski typically arrives at the university's track about 90 minutes before the Hawkeye team to have some solo coaching from Woody, who is now Iowa's director of track and field. If Woody is out of town with the team, Sowinski will follow workouts from him. Assistant strength and conditioning coach Landon Evans also assists.
"Everything I need is there," Sowinski said. "Everything goes through him (Woody). I've set a personal best every single year I've been with him. He was in my shoes not too long ago. Having someone to run things by, whether it's travel, training. There are so many people there who are willing to help me achieve my goals."
When I interviewed him, Sowinski was in Des Moines to support training partners and friends Nick Holmes and Phil Young, who were racing at Dam to Dam.
Sowinski also is always willing to give back to a Hawkeye program that is near and dear to him, whether it is talking to current Hawkeyes or helping Woody recruit a middle distance star to campus.
"If he (Woody) thinks it's going to be beneficial to him as a coach for me to be there for recruits, whether it's to answer questions or whatever, I'm more than happy to go out there," Sowinski said. "I've been through it all, the recruiting process, sometimes the lack of recruiting process. I'm glad to give people reinforcement that it will work out in the end."
Now, he feels a berth on the American world team is within his grasp, if he can put together three strong races this week in Oregon. His opportunity makes him shake his head in amazement sometimes.
"If you would have told me the beginning of my senior year of college that I'd be where I'm at now, I wouldn't have believed you," Sowinski said. "Things have moved so fast the last few years. I've had to take a step back and remember where you came from. It's been a great journey. I'm excited to have the opportunity to perform at a sport I love."