Indexes
The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.
- The country's mess is our fault (166)
- Obama is not a moderate (130)
- Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (72)
- Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
- Public health care is a Christian option (33)
- The haves should help the have-nots (30)
- Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
- Government-run health care is a bad idea (18)
- Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
- Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)
Records keep falling for Natalie Bowman
Accomplishment: A 40-year-old record recently crumbled last weekend fell to the swimming skills of Natalie Bowman, a member of the Lodi City Swim Club. Bowman, 12, swimming in the Terrapin Meet in Concord, swam the 1,560 freestyle in 18 minutes, 50.71 seconds to break Cindy Enze Griffin's time of 18:53 set in 1968. Bowman, a seventh-grader at Pilgrim West Academy who has made breaking and setting records a hobby of hers over the years with Lodi, also set record for the fastest mark in the 500 free at the meet. Her time of 5:26.60 came in more than two seconds faster than Lori Scheideman's 5:28.52 set last year.

Family: Mark and Kimberley Bowman, parents; one brother.
Favorite sport: Swimming. Bowman has been swimming for Lodi City Swim Club for five years. "It is a great team sports but at the same time, you don't feel bad if you don't make the goal. You can help your teammates, but there's not a lot of pressure."
Favorite athlete: Natalie Coughlin. "I have heard she is a really good teammate."
Favorite hobbies: Bowman works with horses and rides them a lot and also volunteers for Animal Friends Connection where she loves working with cats.
Favorite subject: French. Bowman has taken French for three years. "My mom is fluent in French and I hope to be fluent after a few more years."
Would like to meet: Natalie Coughlin.
Crowning achievement: "The most recent record I broke in the 1560 that was my coach's record. She is my role model and I have looked up to her for so long and it was a surprise and an honor to break her record."
Plans: "I haven't decided what I am going to do yet, but it will definitely have something to do with horses or cats."
The Athlete of the Week is selected by the News-Sentinel sports staff. Nominations are gladly accepted. Bowman will receive a T-shirt courtesy of Lodi Sporting Goods for being selected.

Reader Feedback
contentado wrote on Nov 26, 2008 10:08 AM:
Audi 5000 wrote on Nov 25, 2008 9:43 AM:
midtowner wrote on Nov 25, 2008 7:41 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.