Ready for last run
Unique swimmer-diver Dowlin hopes to boost Silver Creek’s state goals
Silver Creek senior Joshua Dowlin followed in his older brother’s footsteps at the start of high school. Right to the toecurled edge of the pool’s diving board.
He’ll brace for a landing without him.
“We did swimming basically our entire lives and did all the little club teams,” said Dowlin, whose brother Jacob graduated last year. “And then once my brother got to high school, he decided to give it a shot on the team.
“Then I got to high school, and we were canceled by COVID, but then I tried it out and it went great.”
Up for another challenge? Because Joshua will now be front and center for a diving program that not only lost his brother, but also its longtime coach Kyle Stewart.
The son of head coach Debbie Stewart moved after leading the dive program to widespread success across his eight years, helping the Raptors win gold in 2021 and take silver last year.
“When we won (our first title) in 2008, there were three boys that placed on the dive team that year and we only won by four points,” Stewart said. “The same thing happened when we won in 2021. … Those points make all the difference in the world.”
Joshua’s spring afternoons will otherwise look much the same as they have in recent years.
He’ll do both swimming and diving, where he finished seventh in the breaststroke at state, and eighth in dive. Though, for clarity, those dual tasks are not the reason he often shows up to practice looking like he threw hands with a weed wacker. The scrapes and bruises he earned as a part of the Boulder rugby club team.
“Always got some new cuts,” he grinned.
Some chlorine should help. The senior, looking for one more dual podium finish at state, will rely on his experience.
In the past, he admitted his leap from swimmer to a swimdiver dual threat had been eased by Jacob’s head start in the craft.
The challenges of a sport known more to cater to gymnasts over lifelong swimmers didn’t seem so daunting as they helped each other where they could, he said.
And thanks to it, they both emerged as key points-getters, supplying plenty in the state win two years ago and the ensuing runner-up finish.
“They’re outgoing, adventurous boys,” Stewart said. “The sport comes naturally, because I want to say, they’re like daredevils.”
Daredevils. Wizards of the water. Whatever the rationale is for Joshua’s success in the pool, he hopes to add one last chapter before he said he’s done with competitive swimming and diving.
“I would love to get another state title like we did two years ago,” he said. “I don’t know if we got the guys we did two years ago, but I’m hoping. I’m going to try and help the team as much as I can and hopefully get top three. Or No. 1.”
Following about four years worth of logistical planning and numerous setbacks, game action has finally arrived for the inaugural season of Niwot boys volleyball.
The first Colorado High School Activities Association-sanctioned boys varsity volleyball team in the St. Vrain Valley School District won its opening test at Riverdale Ridge on Tuesday and on Thursday, the Cougars opened their home slate with a three-set sweep (25-12, 25-14, 25-19) of Mountain View.
Despite having only one actual Niwot High student on the varsity roster — that being senior Jack Klein — the student section remained packed and in full support of its new team, which includes a concoction of players across SVVSD schools. Building chemistry, however, hasn’t been an issue.
“We’ve built a great community of guys and we’re really close,” Klein said. “We are hanging out all the time, talking and we’re