This feature originally appeared in the 2017-18 Winter edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.



Larry Cowling knows speed.
 
One of the most prolific hurdlers in the history of California track & field, Cowling won the NCAA championship in the 110-meter hurdles in 1981 and his times in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles remain atop the Cal record books more than 30 years later. Cowling was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame 1996 where his plaque hangs among the other Golden Bear greats at California Memorial Stadium.
 
Yes, Larry Cowling certainly knows speed.
 
That's why he and his wife, Kathy, also a Cal graduate, have spent seemingly every winter weekend for the last four years at Haas Pavilion, sitting in Section 15 with their eyes fixated on the court.
 
"Starting for the Bears … a 6'3" guard from Benicia, California … number three … Mikayla Cowling."
 
Down below, another Cowling blazes up and down Pete Newell Court.
 
Mikayla, the youngest of Larry and Kathy's four daughters, is now a senior on the Cal women's basketball team, has put together an accomplished résumé of her own. A four-year starter, Mikayla has helped Cal to a pair NCAA Tournament appearances, scored more than 1,000 points and appeared in over 100 games.
 
For all but three of those games, Larry and Kathy have been in the stands watching.
 
"Our feeling has always been, if we can work it out, let's get to as many games as possible," Larry said. "We don't want to miss it because we know how fast this goes."
 
It is a race against time that Larry and Kathy know well, with Mikayla marking the final leg in what has been an impressive relay of athletic achievement for the Cowling daughters.
 
Stephanie, the oldest, followed in Larry's footsteps, running hurdles for the Bears and graduating in 2004 with a degree in sociology. Dominique, the second-oldest, put together a standout volleyball career at UC Riverside, while Alex, the third Cowling daughter, played basketball at Loyola Marymount and her 2,219 career points still rank second in the history of the West Coast Conference.
 
Basketball proved to be the right fit for Mikayla, as well. Six years younger than Alex, Mikayla spent countless hours in the gym watching her older sister play.
 
"Alex's team would be practicing on one end of the court, and I'd be on the other end dribbling, shooting or playing one-on-one," Mikayla remembered. "Being around the game like that just made me so familiar with the sport. I developed a real passion and it stuck."
 
Familiarity also played a key role in Mikayla's decision to come to Cal, with Berkeley serving as the backdrop for countless childhood memories: days spent at the track - "the concession stand had the best hot dogs" – up at the stadium, sitting in the gym watching basketball, or simply strolling up and down Telegraph Avenue. As Mikayla got older, the family trips started turning into solo expeditions, driving over during lunch breaks at Saint Mary's College High School to get food at Top Dog or Blondies and explore campus.
 
As they did with all their daughters, Larry and Kathy never tried influence Mikayla into attending their alma mater.
 
"It was 100 percent my own decision," Mikayla said. "As I got older and was able to really explore this place for myself with my own eyes and without my parents, I came to the realization that this was the place for me."
 
That realization led Mikayla to pick up the phone one evening entering her sophomore year of high school, giving her verbal commitment to the Bears' new head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb. After three successful seasons as an assistant and later associate head coach for the Golden Bears, Gottlieb spent three seasons at UC Santa Barbara before being hired to lead the Bears in April of 2011. Mikayla became Gottlieb's first commit.
 
"We had been around Cal for so long and for so many years, it was just a natural fit," Larry recounted. "Mikayla was crazy about Lindsay, and the school and program were just a great fit."
 
After closing out a decorated high school career as a McDonald's All-American and one of the top prospects in the country, Mikayla arrived on campus and made an immediate impact on the court. She worked her way into the starting lineup as a freshman, and the Bears reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After growing pains with a youthful squad in 2015-16, Mikayla helped the Golden Bears to the best start in program history during the 2016-17 season, which culminated in a return to the NCAA Tournament and all-conference recognition for Cowling.
 
The transformation from watching in the stands to commanding the floor has not been without its challenges. But Mikayla has grown to embrace her role as a charismatic leader.
 
"I hope I can leave a legacy on and off the court of having an energetic presence," said Mikayla. "I play really hard and take pride in having a strong motor on the court, trying to give the team my all every game. Off the court, I really try to talk to our fans and let them know how much I appreciate of their support. I still remember sitting high up in the stands, watching games here. It's pretty cool how it's come full circle."
 
Through all the ebbs, flows and growth, Larry and Kathy have been there in the stands, watching and supporting. Their sacrifice and dedication has not been lost on their youngest daughter.
 
"I'm still trying to process it and its magnitude," Mikayla admitted. "Most of my teammates haven't been able to have that – their parents at pretty much every game. I definitely took it for granted at times, because that's just what they've always done for me and my sisters. But getting older and realizing what that actually entails, I'm so grateful that they've done it and for their willingness to be here and do that for me. Seeing them in the crowd just calms me down."
 
Earlier this fall, Larry and Kathy were among the more than 8,000 fans in attendance in Storrs, Connecticut, as Cal took on top-ranked UConn on Nov. 17. Just seconds into the game, Mikayla got the Bears on the board backdoor cut, scoring the 1,000th point of her Cal career. Two days later, Larry, Kathy and Stephanie were in Providence, Rhode Island, watching as Mikayla moved into the Top 10 in Cal's all-time assist list in a victory over Brown University.
 
It's been a family affair that has spanned decades, taking the Cowlings all across the country and the state of California. In May, when Mikayla graduates with a degree in sociology, she knows it will be a milestone that belongs to more than just herself.
 
"It's going to be another accomplishment that we'll have done together," Mikayla said. "That will be kind of beautiful to see. My parents, my sisters, we've all take this journey – similar but different – and had success and done it together."
 
In the meantime, there is still plenty of basketball to be played. Larry and Kathy, like always, will be sitting there in Section 15 watching and cheering along.
 
"It's been so great for us as a family," said Larry. "Here we are with four girls, all beautiful women and beautiful athletes. It's gone by fast, but we couldn't be prouder."