Hoya Staff Writer Friday, May 19, 2006 Lindsay Anderson/The Hoya Fleet Hower
After four years at Georgetown, Fleet Hower still feels like a small-town guy. But with a strong career of distance running behind him and hopes of turning professional ahead of him, it seems this runner will continue to go the distance. When he followed his brother onto the track six years ago, Hower had no idea it would take him this far. Baseball was always his favorite sport growing up, but when he kicked up his running routine in high school, he found that speed was his true calling. Having chosen to compete for the Hoyas because he wanted to run for Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Ron Helmer, Hower adopted the strenuous lifestyle of a college athlete. Long hours of practice meant that time management became the number one priority for Hower. Though he admits that social events sometimes had to take a backseat to running, he has mastered the act. “If you do it right, you have time for everything,” he said, with the laid-back air of a man who never runs out of time. In a sport that many would consider individual competition, Hower’s talk is all about the team. His proudest memory as a Georgetown runner is not an individual best time. Instead it is the memory of his team’s win at the Big East championship in New York his sophomore year that he values the most. Next year as a liberal studies graduate student, Hower hopes to lead the team to further victory. “I’m pretty goal oriented,” he says, “The goals I formed for my track career kept me going. and the people are people that I want to be around.” Hower placed highly in the NCAA and Big East cross country championships all four years that he ran for the Hoyas, and placed in the Big East indoor championship his junior and senior years. As a senior, Hower was a regional champion in cross country, earned all-American honors for track and was named a Big East scholar-athlete of the year for 2005-06. But running medals are not all that he is taking away this May. As this English major says, “I feel like I leave Georgetown with a great ability to balance different activities in life. Coming into college, I thought I was a one-track person. I’ve learned how important education is in your life.” Hailing from the small town of Marion, Va., Hower has grown to love Georgetown and the District that surrounds it. A Booey’s fan, he loves exploring the nightlife in D.C.’s neighborhoods and taking advantage of the concerts and shows that come to town. He also enjoys the running trails that wind behind campus and through Rock Creek Park and of course, running along the all. He is also excited to stretch his legs on Georgetown’s brand new track that was completed this year. Hower’s disarming grin is a deceptive front on a man who, as his lifelong nickname suggests, lives for speed – his real name is James, but he has gone by the nickname “Fleet” for much of his life. His easy demeanor shows how comfortable he is balancing the hectic routine of a college athlete. From the superstitious freshman who listened to AC/DC and gobbled a king-sized Snickers bar before every race, Hower has grown into a team leader who leaves such superstitions behind. His extended plans include hopes to run professionally and eventually attend architecture school. He acknowledges, however, that “In running, your goals are formed as you go. You never know what’s coming up.” Whatever the future holds, Fleet greets it with the same determination he brings to each race. Coupled with exquisite time management and a Georgetown degree, Fleet Hower is a Hoya on track for success.