Persistence helped Eastern Washington standout and Central Valley graduate Parker Bowden blossom into one of the nation’s top hurdlers

As familiar as Central Valley track and field coach Charles Bowden is with his program’s all-time records, you’d think his son, Eastern Washington hurdler Parker Bowden, had also etched his name in Bears history.

Parker recently set an EWU and Big Sky Conference Championships record in the 110 hurdles (13.58 seconds) and takes a No. 20 national ranking into this week’s NCAA West Regionals in College Station, Texas, which begin Wednesday.

He was a force in junior college, too, winning a Northwest Athletic Conference championship in 2017 for Community Colleges of Spokane.

But Parker, who was named Most Outstanding Male Athlete at the Big Sky championships in Ogden, Utah, last week, didn’t even reach the podium for CV at the 4A championships.

He didn’t qualify for the state meet as a junior and senior, either.

Some of those results were due to the inherent physical toll that came with being a three-sport athlete, he said. Some of it was indifference.

“I never took a break going from season to season to season in football, basketball and track,” said Bowden, whose lone state berth came as a sophomore when he ran a personal best 14.9 to win a district title. “I was battling quad and hamstring injuries.”

Charles still believed his son had an upside worthy of Division I interest.

With an athletic 6-foot-1 frame that helped him in basketball and a stride that helped become one of CV’s top wide receivers, the Bears’ longtime coach believed Parker could potentially flourish in college if he pushed all of his chips into the middle of the track table.

He would know. He threw for EWU before graduating in 1990 and taking over CV’s track program.

“So much in society is built around athletes and what they do in high school, but for a lot of track athletes it’s just the beginning,” Charles said. “An Olympic athlete doesn’t hit his physical peak until somewhere between the ages of 26-29.”

Parker heeded his father’s advice and opted to run at Community Colleges of Spokane, where he worked with assistant coach and trainer Ryan Weidman and began to transform his body, a career-changing pursuit.

The results of his training and diet began to show immediately. After winning a series of junior college meets, he developed a fervor for the sport.

“I was ready to be done with track when I graduated from CV and just do life,” Parker said. “I fell back in love with sports at (CCS).”

Parker didn’t generate much big-college interest after winning his NWAC title with a time of 14.39, but nearby EWU wanted his services.

Like Charles and his teammates did in the 1980s, Parker moved into a “track house” two blocks from his father’s college residence on Elm Street, a long EWU track tradition.

Parker began his run as bona fide Division I hurdler when he placed third in the 60-meter hurdles at the indoor Big Sky championships at Idaho State in early 2020, setting a school record (7.96) in the process.

After changing an eight-step start to a seven-step start, Parker believed he could contend for an outdoor title that spring in what he thought would be his final collegiate season.

Instead, the coronavirus wiped out his senior campaign before granting him another.

Five years out of high school last spring with a degree under his belt, most of his friends had began their off-track careers. Parker considered hanging up his cleats to join them.

Not before checking a few more boxes, though.

“I thought about leaving school, but then I thought it would be a shame to not go as far as I can in track,” Parker said. “I’m in the best shape of my life.”

He proceeded to earn a master’s degree while experiencing the best hurdling season in program history.

It started early, too, clocking in at 13.9 at March meet at Oregon State – his goal in 2020 was to get under 14 seconds – and that momentum carried into the Big Sky championships, where he became the first Eagle to win a conference 110 hurdle title.

“The fact he did this in a COVID year makes it more impressive,” said Charles, who is making the trip to Texas A&M’s campus to watch Parker this week. “He battled through a lot.”

EWU coach Stan Kerr continues to be impressed by his detail-oriented senior, one of nine EWU athletes to qualify for the NCAA West Regional.

“From his methodical warmup, diet and sense of humor, to his being a dedicated student of the sport, his competing at this high level of sport is an example to others,” Kerr said. “He serves as a solid testimony to being in the here-and-now, and doing everything you need to do in order to be successful at the NCAA Division I level.”

Parker hopes to qualify for the NCAA championships next month at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Athletes who make it to finals in their respective events at nationals earn All-American status, a goal of Parker’s.

“Anything is possible, “he said “I am getting into my peak now. Things are clicking.”

Parker will face a longtime, friendly foe in his preliminary heat on Wednesday when he lines up near Washington State standout and former Gonzaga Prep hurdler Nick Johnson.

Johnson, a 4A state hurdles champion during his time with the Bullpups, took fourth (13.85) at last week’s Pac-12 championships to qualify for regionals and is ranked 47th.

“It’s cool it worked out that way, to have two former (Greater Spokane League) guys in the same race,” Parker said.