High School Spotlight: Bowie Runner Hummel Sets School 5K Record

As a sophomore, Griffin Hummel notched a speedy a 9:35 two-miler — a 4:53 per mile pace and lowered his track 5K time to 15:26. This year, the Bowie Bulldawg kicked off his junior year by setting a school record of 15:38 for the 5K at the Westlake Chaparral Invitational cross-country meet on August 23 near Del Valle.

“I was really excited to run the first 5K of the season,” said Hummel, 16. “I wanted to go under sixteen minutes and do my best — to see where I’m at. I didn’t realize I’d broken the school record at first.”

Zach Munger, the previous Bowie cross-country 5K record ran15:43 as a senior.

“I really look up to Zach,” said Hummel, the Bowie cross-country team captain. “He now competes for Texas A&M. For cross-country right now, I’m running close to Zach’s high school times. He ran nine flat for two miles on the track. I’d like to hit that and maybe go under. If I get those times, that will help me get to State. I’m now running times that I thought were impossible as a freshman. I just want to do my best and support my team.”

Hummel has a very realistic approach to his training, taking it one meet at a time.

“I’m focusing on trying to improve overall. Obviously ducking under fifteen minutes for the 5K is something I’ve thought about,” he said.

The next three weeks are big. Bowie hosts the next meet — the Austin ISD Invitational on September 7, which is run on the District course. On September 14, it’s the Islander Splash in Corpus Christi where the Regional meet is run. Then you have the McNeil Invitational in Round Rock on September 21, which is the State course. The top four teams in each region go to State. For individuals not on a team, the top 10 from each region not on a team go to state.

“Last year both the boys and girls teams made it to State,” said Hummel. “That was really special. I’d love to repeat history!”

Hummel gives a lot of credit to Bowie Cross-Country Coach Lora Tilson, stating that she is really dedicated to the success of the team. Tilson goes to a lot of running clinics and puts a lot of work into it.

“We emphasize consistency,” said Hummel. “We also incorporate strength and mobility. It helps us to stay injury-free. Coach Tilson really goes above and beyond, helping us stick together and stay strong as a team. I think that’s what helped us get to State last year.”

HummeI also runs with the Born to Run Club with Coach Paul Carrozza. “I’ve really benefitted from Carrozza’s coaching — it’s a really great supplement. Over the summer, I consistently ran up to 50 miles a week. Right now, I average around 45 miles a week, depending on the meet schedule.”

Looking ahead, Hummel I doesn’t have his eye on a specific college, but is looking at Division 1 schools like the University of Texas, Arkansas and Colorado State University.

“I want to be challenged both academically and athletically,” said Hummel. “I just want to keep my options open and keep improving.”

Upcoming Races: Saturday, September 14, the Gruene 5K/10K at 7:45 a.m., at Gruen Hall, New Braunfels. Saturday, September 21, the Jaguar Jog 5K/10K at 8:00 .am. at the Moe and Gene Johnson High School in Buda.