The runners come up to the starting line as the sun shines down on the Blue Oval at Drake University. They know what is at stake, a state title would go to the winner of this race. As the racers enter their starting position, one girl is dead set and zoned in. BANG! Off the racers go as they run down the lanes of the Blue Oval, and the crowd cheers for the girls as they dash down. As they run down the sky-blue lanes of Drake Stadium, one girl sweeps clear of the other racers, asserting her dominance. She crosses the finish line and rejoices happily as she just won the state title. She hugs her teammates who were cheering from the sidelines and is very proud of what she has accomplished. This awesome runner is Alex Gaskell, who has won three state championships (4 peat soon) for Dowling Catholic. Though Gaskell is speedy on the track lanes, she has much more than just her quick feet. Run with me as we jump into what drives Gaskell to succeed and get into our second segment of “Student Spotlight.”

Gaskell was born on July 27th, 2006 in Des Moines, Iowa to her loving parents, Allison and Jake. She has two younger siblings, Jake, a sophomore here at Dowling, and Lizzie who attends St. Augustin. 

Gaskell attended St. Augustin from Pre-K to 8th grade and really enjoyed her time there. She believes one impact from the school is that everyone goes through hard times, but knows they will overcome them. Gaskell still maintains good friendships with people she went to school with and her sister still attends the school. Though not Catholic, Gaskell is Christian and attends a Presbyterian church on Sundays with her family. 

Currently, she is undecided on where to go for college but Gaskell is applying to schools across the country including Wake Forest University in North Carolina, Boston College in Massachusetts, and Texas Christian University in Texas. She is considering running D1 track as well but is more focused on the academic side of college. Gaskell states that one passion she holds closely is writing and literature. She believes that literature can change the world and hopes to change an aspect of society either through law or writing. 

Gaskell has had an amazing experience here at Dowling and loves the coaches, and people she has met here. She challenges herself with hard classes and work because she strives to be the best but also prepares herself for the world that lies ahead. “One thing I like about DCHS is the way it prepares you for the world, and not many schools do that,” Gaskell states.

One teacher who has impacted Gaskell is Mr. Patten in room 702. It just so happens that he is her hurdles coach and also her go-to person if she needs someone to talk to. He’s a good listener, offering Gaskell the best advice through her ups and downs. Another teacher who impacts her greatly is Dr. Pommrehn. Gaskell states that Dr. Pommrehn ignited her passion for history and realized her sentiment for justice. Tying back to her college track for pre-law, Dr. Pommrehn instilled the fact that justice can truly change the world and impact the society we live in. Lastly, the one and only Mrs. Holsapple largely influenced Gaskell, because she appreciates her passion for English and just enjoys talking literature with her.

Some activities that Gaskell is involved in here at DCHS are Peer Tutors, Best Buddies, Student Ambassadors, Student Philanthropy Council, Track and Field, and Ut Fidem. In track, she does hurdles, sprints, and high jump and she has gotten the state title in all the events. An impact she has felt from track is learning to rely on others and trusting people. “I was never like that when I was younger, I was very shy,” Gaskell explains. As a kid, Gaskell didn’t want to put herself out there, but through track, she became more comfortable and learned to trust people. “I learned to trust my teammates to get the job done,” she says.

Now, we can’t mention Gaskell without mentioning track of course! She joined as a freshman and right away she hit the ground running. She did hurdles, sprints, and did long jump but she outperformed her teammates. She was given the chance to go to Drake for the first time to participate in the state championship. She went in worried and scared of the race but left with a state championship to her name. She has continued to do track her sophomore, and junior years and leaves with state titles to her name every time she exits the Blue Oval. She plans to do it senior year, and hopefully win the state title for her fourth and final year of high school. 

As aforementioned, she is involved in the Best Buddies Club here at Dowling and is the president of it as well. She encourages anyone to join and participate in what Best Buddies does. They visit Ruby Van Meter school and work with kids who have IDD (intellectual or developmental disability). “It helped put things into perspective for me because some people are less fortunate and I’m glad I’m helping them,” Gaskell says. “We work on building friendships and creating an inclusive environment for them.” Gaskell also volunteers at Meals From The Heartland to give back to the community and offer her time to help those in need. Another way she offers her time is by volunteering at athletic camps to help develop skills in young athletes and just feel more comfortable with whatever sports endeavor they embark on.

Faith is a huge aspect of Gaskell’s life as she embarks through the journey of life. One obstacle she has faced is anxiety seeping in during her junior year.

One way she has coped through this is by praying but also journaling her thoughts and being comfortable with herself. She also participates in prayer before a state meet and the results of those prayers have gotten her the state title all of those years. Gaskell, growing up in Catholic education, understands the ins and outs of the faith and possesses similar views stemming from the Presbyterian church she attends.  She puts things into God’s hands and lets him take control because she knows he is the one who got her there in the first place. She was initially got baptized as a Methodist but eventually attended Presbyterian services when she was four. “My faith greatly affects me during my track season and at state as well,” Gaskell states.

 

Another huge impact on Gaskell’s life is her friends who motivate her to be the best version of herself she can be. She is close with Ella Rogers (‘25), Piper Harrington (‘25), and Kate Nelson (‘25). “They have always been there for me,” Gaskell says. One group she loves very much is the track team she runs with during her season. She runs with Annie Smith (‘25), and Katherine Banker (‘25) and they have been through thick and thin with each other, but they persevere through it. Funny enough, Smith and Gaskell grew up together as childhood friends and one special moment they retain is winning a state championship together. Gaskell also enjoys the company of anyone here at Dowling from her clubs to her classes. She feels that she can strike a genuine connection and conversation with anyone she interacts with whether it’s during an ambassador visit or in the halls of Dowling. Their impact on her is tremendously positive and she appreciates them very much. “They’re just people I can turn to throughout my ups and downs, but also to vent,” Gaskell explains.

Alright, the moment you readers have been waiting for. The fun facts of Gaskell:

• She plays guitar and loves to sing
• Favorite song to play is “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
• Has a black Labrador named Rosco
• 3x state championship (going to be 4)
• Loves movies a lot
• Her favorite movie is Ferris Buller’s Day off
• Favorite actors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Robin Williams
• Is an avid concertgoer, stemming from her parents who are also concertgoers
• She has seen Noah Kahn and Post Malone (she saw him fall off stage)
• Some concerts she wants to attend are Coldplay and Lumineers

 

A theme that I observed while interviewing Gaskell was recognizing the friendships she has built for who they are and how they have your back throughout the good and bad times. She also struggled to put herself out there as I stated earlier but now she has earned state titles to her name, is the president of a club, and gives back to the community. Gaskell understands that companionship is important to one’s growth as a human being because social interactions are so critical to how we grow, she states. A piece of advice she gave me was, “Focus on the present, don’t get too focused on the past or the future.” Her reasoning behind this is that she wants to live in the moment and not ponder on what happened or what could happen. She believes life comes in a full circle from winning the state championship with her childhood best friend to meeting new people every day. 

Her concluding statement to me was, “Don’t live with regret,” which truly resounded her appreciation for life and being proud of what you have accomplished throughout your whole life. She wanted me to know to never look back at life and think to myself about how I could have changed something. 

If you ever get blessed with the opportunity to talk to Gaskell, she is a smart and open-minded woman who understands the world around her. Also, watch out for her as she dashes across the finish line at the coveted Blue Oval and wins another state championship for her fourth year!