September 24, 2024
MADISON, S.D. – Brent Dowling was one of the top sprinters in Dakota State University Track & Field during the early 1990's, along with fellow DSU Hall of Famer Tard Smith. Dowling will be inducted in the 28
th annual DSU Athletics Hall of Fame for his excellence in this sport.
He was a four-year South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) Track & Field All-Conference member in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. He also had made appearances at the NAIA national track & field meets during his career at Dakota State. He is listed in numerous track & field school 'Top 10' records.
Dowling was a member of the Trojan indoor 4 x 400-meter relay team with Adam Foland, Jason Smidt, and Smith that established a new school record time of 3 minutes, 23.49 seconds in 1992. Another school record was broken in the same event three years later in 1995 with Jake Kamps, Chad Lausen, Dowling, and Smith with a time of 3:22.46 (broken in 1998 by Ryan Raak, Jake Kamps, Lucas Adams and Shaun Fransen in 3:22.33).
Dowling was also listed in the indoor 55-meter dash (a discontinued event today) 'Top 10' school record, where he is tied for sixth fastest time in 6.32 seconds with Seth Boomsma in 2014. Dowling is also ninth fastest in the same event with a 1993 time of 6.33 seconds.
He is listed in numerous DSU men's outdoor track & field school 'Top 10' times and is part of the top three 4 x 200-meter relay times in school history.
Dowling, along with Foland, Smidt, and Smith produced a school record time of 1 minute, 28.36 seconds in 1992. The following year, the 4 x 200-meter relay team set another school record time of 1 minute, 27.60 seconds with Dowling, Foland, Lausen, and Smith.
In 1994, Dowling, Lausen, Smidt, and Smith improved the school's record time of 1:26.95. Another school record was set in 1995 with Dowling, Kamps, Kurt Wallace, and Smith with a time of 1:26.51, which is still intact for almost 30 years.
Dowling, Smidt, Lausen, and Smith also broke the 4 x 100-meter relay time of 41.50 seconds in 1994 (broken in 2013 by D'Artist Williams, Stacey Berg, Mark Moeller, and Seth Boomsma in 40.68 seconds).
Also in 1994, Dowling, Lausen, Smidt, and Smith broke the 4 x 400-meter relay school record time from 1983 of 3:18.80 (by Mike Baun, Lorin Larsen, Russ Johnson, and Monty Christensen). They set a new school record time of 3 minutes, 18.40 seconds (broken by Kamps, Raak, Adams, and Fransen in 1998 with a time of 3:18.26).
Dowling is also listed with Foland, Lausen, and Smith as having the eighth fastest time in the 4 x 400-meter relay in 1994 with a time of 3:18.80.
He was fifth in the third heat of the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.12 seconds in the 1994 national outdoor track meet. He also ran anchor in the 4 x 100-meter relay with Smidt, Lausen, and Smith in 45.72 seconds, finishing sixth in the first heat. He did not advance to the next round.
During the 1995 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Dowling was fifth in the fifth heat of the 100-meter dash in 11.12 seconds. He also ran in the 200-meter dash at the national meet, finishing 22.33 seconds and placed third in the third heat. He advanced to the semifinals and finished eighth in 22.34 seconds in the first heat (did not advance to the finals).
He currently holds the eighth fastest time in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.49 seconds, occurred during the 1994 season. He ran a time of 21.38 seconds in 1994 outdoor track season in the 200-meter dash (currently 6
th fastest time in the school record book) and improved his personal record time to 21.34 seconds in 1994 (currently 4
th fastest time in the school record book).
He graduated in 1996, and Dowling has worked as an enterprise architect with the State of South Dakota, Bureau of Information Telecommunications (BIT) for 28 years.
He recalled his DSU memories including meeting and his wife, Donna (Talarico). He also recalled that the late DSU Hall of Famer Lorin Larsen was an amazing volunteer who had a passion for the sport. He participated in workouts out with the team, attended many meets, and had a heart to pour into the student athletes both on and off the track. This was one of the reasons why Dowling enjoys volunteering with the track & field program for T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, S.D.
Brent and his wife have two children, their daughter Cortney and her husband Josh Strohman reside in Algona Iowa, and their son Justin and his fiancé Madison. The family reside in Pierre and enjoys coffee roasting, outdoor activities and has a heart to share the gospel with others including short term international missions.
| 2024 Dakota State Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees Series |
| Monday, Sept. 23 |
Michelle (Butash) Daniels |
| Tuesday, Sept. 24 |
Brent Dowling |
| Wednesday, Sept. 25 |
Brad Gilbert |
| Wednesday, Sept. 25 |
Tommy Hofer |
| Thursday, Sept. 26 |
Mike Katen |
| Thursday, Sept. 26 |
Kim Nelson |
| Friday, Sept. 27 |
Jeff Rensch |
