It’s been a very up and down road for Jesse Fowler since graduating from Bushland in 2023, but a road she wouldn’t want any other way.
Fowler, now a sprinter at Division I Utah Tech, has had to battle adversity through injury but is getting healthy and is looking forward toward the 2026 indoor and outdoor season and her best year yet at the college level.
Fowler was a standout for the Lady Falcons track program qualifying for UIL state track and field meet three state years finishing as high as sixth in the 100-meter dash. She took her talents to Utah Tech but has suffered setbacks with ongoing injuries.
“I’ve had a hip injury I’ve dealt with,” Fowler said. “I wasn’t able to compete during the indoor season because of it but I was able to get back for the outdoor year. Right now, I’m not having much of an issue, but it started my freshman year of college and limited when I could run.”
Fowler did get back for the outdoor season and was able to qualify for the Western Conference Athletic Meet this past May competing in the 100-meter race, the 200-meter. She placed 15th in the prelims of the 100-meter sprint with a 12.62 and was 26th in the 200-meter race with a 26.91. Fowler ran in six meets overall last spring with a season-best time of 12.1 and was fifth on the sprint relay team at the UNLV Rebel Elite meet.
“I would say I’m not the same type of runner I was at Bushland,” Fowler said. “I’m very consistent in my progress and I am getting used to the mental challenge of college. I am very disciplined with my time and I’m just striving to get better and have a big year coming up this spring.”
Fowler’s focus this spring is like she said, staying healthy, getting stronger, and making an impact on the track and see if she can’t make her own name by next May.
“I just love track so much,” Fowler said. “I want to push myself and one of my goals is to run the indoor season and make it back to the conference meet. That was an amazing experience. Last year was a grueling season but this means everything to me. I would like to steady my growth and get a personal record in the 100-meter dash and continue to make my coaches happy. I love what they’ve done for me. They are always there for me.”