By Ethan Volk

It’s every athlete’s dream to go pro and do what he or she loves for the rest of his or her life. Through hard work, dedication, and perseverance, that dream can be accomplished, but still, it is a long and difficult road. Nevertheless, senior Alex Cowen has run down that road, and he has crossed the finish line with a bright road ahead of him.
If not for a leap of faith, Cowen would have never been in this scenario in the first place.
“In middle school, I had wanted to do a fall sport. My parents thought I was too thin for football, and that I would have gotten crushed if I had played,” said Cowen. “I’m pretty sure that they convinced my older cousin to persuade me to try cross-country instead. I realized I wasn’t so bad at the sport, and by eighth grade I was winning races.”
Winning races became a frequent accomplishment for Cowen, as he consistently scored first place, dominating the competition with his stamina. During his freshman year, Cowen was one of seven runners to compete in the state championships. As a result, he realized that his future on the track was highly foreseeable.
“College track was always part of the plan,” said Cowen. “I had known about Terrance Livingston, and I had watched Daniel Siegel go through the recruitment process. I had always wanted to be a college athlete, so I decided to work towards that goal.”
The next step for Cowen was choosing a college where he felt comfortable. When Cowen learned of Williams’ interest in him, he was ecstatic.
“It’s hard to describe, but it was a great feeling to receive validation for the hard work I have put into running,” said Cowen. “When the Williams coach told me that he was going to support my application in the admissions office, it was the best feeling in the world!” Now, as a Williams student-to-be, Cowen is starting to think about the exciting events in his future.
Although Cowen has almost crossed the finish line in one chapter of his life, he claims that his success and motivation always came from one person: his coach.
“Coach Reader is one of the best track coaches in the county. His training techniques and coaching abilities are capable of transforming any athlete to become better,” said Cowen. “He has had a huge influence on me that I cannot even begin to describe, and without him, I would definitely not be where I am today.”