Appendix Surgery Not Stopping Bowman

Dedicated and hard working runners have always been a trademark of the UT Lady Vols track program, and junior distance runner Sarah Bowman is no exception. In fact, she counts as one of the more extra devoted ones.


According to coach JJ Clark, Bowman is an incredibly committed athlete who hardly ever misses workouts, and always giving the best she has.


Even then, dedicated is a mild understatement as Bowman won't stop at anything to improve her game, not even after a surgery. Early February, Bowman was diagnosed with appendicitis, thus forcing her to have an appendectomy. Two weeks after the operation, she set a new career record mile time of 4 minutes and 37 seconds, which is the fastest mile time in the last 21 years at UT.


Even before her operation, Bowman's queries were always related to her sport. She first asked the surgeon how long she has to be out of workouts after her surgery, worried that she might have to miss too much. However, it turns out that she only needed a week and a half of no running before she can get back and get focused on her game.


It would seem then that the accursed appendix was slowing her down, as a week after her record mile, she again posted another career-making best mile time, making her fall only one second shy of the UT Lady Vols all-time record, which was set in 1986. Moreover, her mile time had also earned her an automatic qualifying bid in the NCAA, her second one this season, as well as the first ranking in the SEC, and the 2nd in the national mile level.


Bowman states that she doesn't pay much attention to the rankings, as they're not permanent. Rather, she chooses to focus on how well she is running. She has been following a very successful 2006-2007 season so far, where she won the league outdoor title in the 1,500 meter event, then finished 3rd in the SEC for the mile event. This year, she is currently the reigning indoor SEC championship in the mile category, and is determined to defend her crown this coming weekend.


Bowman states that she is never satisfied and that always, she is trying to get better in general, as the competition is always unpredictable. For her, running is about getting out there and doing what she can for her team.