Eric Dowden is New Providence’s Union County Conference Male Athlete of the Week.
In his third season of Winter Track & Field, Dowden, a senior, has distinguished himself on the track and off.
Coming into the season, Eric inherited the anchor leg of the 4x400m relay, a race that the Pioneers had dominated in the previous year, winning the Group 1 Championship and setting a new school record at the Meet of Champions. Far from shying away from a challenge, Eric has confidently embraced his new role, swinging for the fences in every race so far this season.
At the Union County Championships, Eric has shown that New Providence can hold its own in the sprints, helping to earn the team a third place at the Union County Relays and a fifth place at the Union County Championships. In state competition, Eric took the stick in second at the Group 1 Relays and third at the Central Sectional, but made gutsy passes in the second lap of both races to finish first both times. If current results are any prediction, the Pioneers 4×400 will be one of the clear favorites at the Group 1 Championships this Saturday.
