For many athletes, competing at the Collegiate level after years and years of hard work is a dream come true. For Senior, Landon Cowen (‘26), it is a reality. Cowen was hard to miss on the Green Hope Lacrosse pitch, playing a vital role on the Varsity team in his Sophomore, Junior and Senior seasons. In the 3-year span, Cowen has racked up 124 goals and 54 assists, totaling 178 points in just 53 games. As Cowen prepares for the next step at Wingate University, he sat down with the GH Falcon, recapping his high school career and expressing his devotion to the game of Lacrosse.
Like many athletes who find themselves competing beyond the High School level, Cowen fell in love with the game early. “I started playing Lacrosse when I was 6 years old… it was something influenced onto me as my whole family played it. I had a lot of fun with it, and it stuck”. For Cowen, starting early proved to be the right decision as it prepared him for the competitiveness of high school athletics. As just a sophomore, Cowen found himself on Varsity, proving to be essential for the Falcons for years to come. In his four years with the program, Cowen reminisced on his time with the team, “My best memory with the team was beating Leesville Road my sophomore year. It was our biggest win so far… it was an exciting back and forth game, and it will always be a memory”. Along with the memories made in four years with the Falcons, Cowen’s impact came with lots of accomplishments for himself and the team. Cowen was awarded first-team all-conference as a junior and later followed it up by making the Bull City All-Star team as a Senior.
For many athletes, the recruiting process can be a long, stressful process. While sitting down with the Falcon, Cowen reflected on his decision, “My summer going into my senior year is when I got the most notice from coaches… heading into the season, Coach Nolan started emailing a ton of different schools, and it really helped me get the notice I was hoping for. ” Officially, Cowen announced his commitment to Wingate University as of April 23rd, but why Wingate? “The deciding factor was my visit with the coaches and the other players… the community was super nice, and the coach was extremely welcoming. The positive culture throughout ultimately swayed me into deciding”.
The Falcon also sat down with Coach Nolan, the head Lacrosse coach here at Green Hope, to discuss Cowen and his lasting impact on the Falcon community. Nolan emphasized Cowen’s impact on the pitch, “He has a nose for the goal. He is a natural goal scorer”. Not only a physical threat, Cowen has also provided essential leadership for the Falcons as team captain, and Nolan added on, “Landon has helped a lot of young players understand the value of hard work, that is what makes him a leader”. College athletics are far from a joke, especially in the physically demanding sport of Lacrosse. Knowing this demand, Nolan reinforced his confidence in Cowen beyond the High School level, “His work ethic and intangibles are going to help him succeed. Those intangibles primarily being size, length and toughness.”.
For Cowen and the Lacrosse team, they stand at a prominent record of 12-7 approaching the end of the season as they look to compete beyond the regular season. Cowen and Coach Nolan both spotlighted Green Hope’s first playoff appearance in nearly a decade last season, and they plan on doing the same this season. After a very successful 4-year high school career, with over 150 points and counting as a Falcon, Landon Cowen will continue his athletic and academic career at the Division II Wingate University, cementing himself in the Green Hope athletic history books.
