Cade Bowie: Leading FOR the People
"I love people; I'm a people person. I don't want there to be any animosity between anybody. If somebody's got an issue, hash it out, and be friends."
Cade Bowie hasn't always been such an extrovert, but he forced himself into a new role, a role that he felt the William Penn shotgun sports program needed. The senior from Benton, Ark. decided to be the flag bearer of inclusivity for the Statesmen after seeing a void was not being filled.
As one would expect from a shotgun sports athlete, Cade has been around guns and hunting his whole life.
"I have been shooting since I could walk basically," Bowie said. "As soon as my grandpa (Ricky Goodson) found out that I was going to be a boy, he immediately went out and bought me a gun."
Duck hunting with his grandpa and dad Bryce actually led to the start of Cade's competitive shooting career.
"My dad met my first coach (Earl Phillips) in a duck blind and it started from there," Bowie said.
Despite being a self-proclaimed late starter (began Trap and Sporting Clays as a freshman, and Skeet as a senior), Cade was a quick study, eventually placing third in the Arkansas State Sporting Clays Tournament while attending Bryant High School.
As a junior, he was effectively signed to attend an in-state institution for shooting, but his mom Angee recommended he check out a shooting combine in Iowa.
"I had done everything but sign my letter of intent to shoot at this other school, but my mom said I should go up for this event in Iowa," Bowie said. "I said 'Iowa??...Why would I want to go way up there??!?!?'"
He eventually heeded his mom's advice and attended the shoot.
"I met (former head coach) Steve (Heaton) there and he told me to go talk to team; he wouldn't even talk to me," Bowie said. "I found out later that he wanted to see how I would fit into the team without him being there."
Cade thoroughly enjoyed meeting his eventual teammates and ultimately went on a visit to WPU. He was sold.
"I loved them all," Bowie said. "I met Chris Berkshire-Lewis and he is pretty much the sole reason I am here. I meshed with everyone really well and I went, well I guess I'm living in Iowa the next four years."
In Cade's first season (2022-2023), the Statesmen repeated as national champions, claiming the NCSSAA Division IV crown. Although it was exciting being part of a national championship program, Cade struggled at times with the team dynamics.
"Half of the team was from right around the area here, while the other half was from Arkansas, Alaska, Wisconsin…everywhere," Bowie said. "We definitely had two groups that made up our team. It was hard being an outsider, someone not local to the area."
The tide began to change in his sophomore campaign, highlighted by Connor Gittings and Colton Heintz-Kuderer transferring to WPU.
"Connor and Colton made a point of wanting to include everyone, no matter where they were from; I also decided that I wanted the freshmen to have a better experience than I had," Bowie said. "I tried to involve everyone in everything. I wanted the team dynamic that we are ALL together and not in separate groups."
Team dinners, especially on the weekends, have since become a tradition in the program.
"We cook for everybody," Bowie said. "No invitations are necessary, just show up. The rule in our house is if you knock, you're probably not welcome."
That 2023-2024 season the Statesmen moved up a level to face the biggest and toughest in ACUI Division I. Despite the switch, WPU still managed a respectable third-place finish.
Heaton then retired from coaching and Bowie's teammate Colten Uitermarkt took the helm. While the change in leadership could have been detrimental to team culture, Bowie said the transition was mostly seamless.
"One of the first things he (Coach Uitermarkt) did when he took over was meet with all of us individually," Bowie said. "He wanted to know what was working for each of us, and what wasn't. He wanted us to set individual goals as well as team goals because shooting is both individual and team. Coach knew that for the team to be successful, he had to get us to work together so we could bring out the best in each other. He wants us to push each other to excel, and by doing that, the whole team benefits."
A year ago, as members of ACUI Division II, William Penn returned to the top of the national standings, winning the program's third national championship. Unfortunately, nearly half of the roster graduated this past spring.
Fortunately, Cade says the team has not skipped a beat.
"The people we brought in this year are family already," Bowie said. "We had them over the two days before school started and (clicks his fingers), everyone hit it off."
Majoring in Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Cade is not quite ready to leave a program that has brought him so much joy.
"I'm thinking pretty hard about being a GA next year and helping Coach with whatever he needs," Bowie said. "He's got a lot on his plate, and I want to help."
After WPU, Cade plans to return to Arkansas and work in the shooting industry, preferably in sales for either a firearms or ammunition manufacturer. An avid hunter and motorcycle rider, he also looks forward to growing his collection of World War I and II firearms.
"I have always loved history, and I love the history behind guns…where it was made, what conflict or war was it used in, who did it belong to," Bowie said. "To say I have a lot of guns in my collection is an understatement."
Cade's final year at WPU has commenced, and with much of it a testament to his and others' hard work, the Statesmen are a well-oiled machine off the range as much as on it.
"I really like this team," Bowie said. "I am excited for this season, and I think we are going to have a very good year! We are working hard and everybody likes everybody."
