I caught up with incoming freshman tight end Nick Bowers recently for a story that’ll be featured in BWI’s upcoming print magazine. I also want to pass along a couple comments/updates here.
This week Bowers will participate in the PIAA Class AA track and field championships in Shippensburg. He’ll compete in the shot put event after qualifying last Thursday with a distance of 52 feet, 11 3/4 inches. That was enough to claim the WPIAL Championship at Baldwin High School, and it gives Bowers a No. 5 seed heading into the state meet.
The highest seed mark at AA states (57-10 3/4) is set by sophomore Evan Blaire of Hickory, and as a side note, Lake Lehman junior and PSU Class of 2016 verbal commitment Connor McGovern also qualified with a seed mark of 50-2 3/4.
Bowers is still relatively new to the track and field scene. In fact, this is just the second year that he’s participated in shot put, so he said he’s still learning the technique.
Additionally, this is the first season that he’s participated in the high jump and he just missed qualifying for states in that, placing sixth at WPIALs with a jump of 6-foot. (The top five qualify.)
“I really wanted to get 6-2,” Bowers said. “I was close. I kept hitting it with my butt.”
What’s impressive is Bowers said he barely focuses on high jump prior to competition.
“I really didn’t practice high jump at practice,” he said. “I only took step training, and then they just call my name and I go out and do it.”
Bowers currently measures in at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, and although he signed to play tight end for the Nittany Lions, he mostly played wide receiver throughout his career at Kittanning High.
There, he set a pair of school records with 53 catches for 850 yards as a junior. He added 32 receptions for 503 yards as a senior, so he’s confident in catching the ball, adding that his leaping ability plays a role in that.
“I think the high jumping shows that I have the ability to go up and get the ball,” Bowers said. “I think it helps a lot with the leg strength, jumping off the legs all the time.”
Since he played mostly WR, Bowers is focusing on his blocking technique this off-season. He started Penn State’s weight training program soon after he signed his letter of intent in February and lifts either before or after school depending on his track and field schedule.
He’s supplementing that work with on-field footwork and bag drills, hoping to get a head start on his transition to being what he calls "a complete tight end" before he arrives on campus in June.
“(The coaches) told me that they wanted me to be that complete tight end,” Bowers said. “They told me right now to start blocking, hit the bags and stuff to get my technique down a little bit before I get up there.”
This week Bowers will participate in the PIAA Class AA track and field championships in Shippensburg. He’ll compete in the shot put event after qualifying last Thursday with a distance of 52 feet, 11 3/4 inches. That was enough to claim the WPIAL Championship at Baldwin High School, and it gives Bowers a No. 5 seed heading into the state meet.
The highest seed mark at AA states (57-10 3/4) is set by sophomore Evan Blaire of Hickory, and as a side note, Lake Lehman junior and PSU Class of 2016 verbal commitment Connor McGovern also qualified with a seed mark of 50-2 3/4.
Bowers is still relatively new to the track and field scene. In fact, this is just the second year that he’s participated in shot put, so he said he’s still learning the technique.
Additionally, this is the first season that he’s participated in the high jump and he just missed qualifying for states in that, placing sixth at WPIALs with a jump of 6-foot. (The top five qualify.)
“I really wanted to get 6-2,” Bowers said. “I was close. I kept hitting it with my butt.”
What’s impressive is Bowers said he barely focuses on high jump prior to competition.
“I really didn’t practice high jump at practice,” he said. “I only took step training, and then they just call my name and I go out and do it.”
Bowers currently measures in at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, and although he signed to play tight end for the Nittany Lions, he mostly played wide receiver throughout his career at Kittanning High.
There, he set a pair of school records with 53 catches for 850 yards as a junior. He added 32 receptions for 503 yards as a senior, so he’s confident in catching the ball, adding that his leaping ability plays a role in that.
“I think the high jumping shows that I have the ability to go up and get the ball,” Bowers said. “I think it helps a lot with the leg strength, jumping off the legs all the time.”
Since he played mostly WR, Bowers is focusing on his blocking technique this off-season. He started Penn State’s weight training program soon after he signed his letter of intent in February and lifts either before or after school depending on his track and field schedule.
He’s supplementing that work with on-field footwork and bag drills, hoping to get a head start on his transition to being what he calls "a complete tight end" before he arrives on campus in June.
“(The coaches) told me that they wanted me to be that complete tight end,” Bowers said. “They told me right now to start blocking, hit the bags and stuff to get my technique down a little bit before I get up there.”
