By Andy Johnston
Staff Writer
Article dated Sept. 3, 1992

Sometimes, Donna Howard thinks about dropping everything and getting some rest. After all, playing sports year-round, studying and working can wear a person out.

But those are just fleeting thoughts, and Howard continues to press on, striving to better herself, both mentally and physically.

``I could quit some of the things I'm doing and concentrate on one thing or the other,'' she said. ``But I like staying busy. I like playing sports, so there is no reason to quit playing them.''

Howard, a senior at Glenn Hills High School, runs track, starts on the softball and basketball teams, is a member of the Honor Society, the Foreign Language Honor Society and used to volunteer as a candy striper at the Medical College of Georgia. She carries an 89.8 grade-point average, is a member of Who's Who of American Athletes and was the West Augusta Rotary Club's Female Athlete of the Year.

But the track is where you will most likely hear the most from Donna.

Her older sister, Anita, was a star at Butler High School and an alternate on this year's 1,600-meter relay team at the Barcelona Olympics.

Now Donna is trying to follow in Anita's footsteps on the way to Atlanta in 1996. Donna was Glenn Hills' track MVP for three straight years, but she came into her own this summer while running for the Quicksilver Track Club in Atlanta.

Despite finishing fourth in the 200 meters at the Georgia state meet last spring, Howard switched to the 400 this summer and soon became one of the nation's top sprinters.

She had never run the 400 before this summer, but finished first in four regional meets and second in the National Junior Olympics. That gained Donna the No. 2 national ranking among prep 400-meter sprinters.

``I had always run the 100 and the 200 before this summer, but had some good split times in the 4 by 400 relay, so the coaches in Atlanta decided to switch me to the 400,'' Donna said. ``I guess you could say it was a good move.''

Howard, 18, learned how to run the 400 by preparing herself mentally.

``A lot of it is in your mind,'' she said. ``If you tell yourself that you're tired, you'll be tired. We did a lot of running, but we also did a lot of work on the mental part of running.''

Howard's new-found success in the 400 has given her the impetus to set some lofty goals for this year, goals she previously thought were unattainable.

``Not only do I want to win the 400 at state this year, I also want to set the state record for both AAA and AAAA,'' Howard said. ``Both girls who won the 400 (AAAA and AAA) at state last year are back, but I beat them both this summer. They'll definitely be after me. I'm not going to be able to sneak up on anybody.''

If Howard does manage to put her name in the record book next spring, she'll be joining her sister, Anita, who set both the 100 and 200 state records for both Class AAA and AAAA while at Butler in the late '80s.

``We don't get to see too much of each other,'' said Donna, who was rezoned to Glenn Hills before her freshman year. ``She was here for about a week right after the Olympics, but I probably won't get to see her again until Christmas. We're both pretty busy.''

Right now it is one thing at a time for Donna Howard. This fall, she is loaded down with school work and softball. When softball season is over it will be more school work and basketball. Once basketball season is completed, she'll be able to return to the track and work on setting her immediate goals.

Then the long-term goal will come.

``It would be great if Anita and myself were running for the Olympic team in Atlanta in 1996,'' Donna said. ``If not, I'm thinking about being a doctor. That would be a lot of hard work, but I think I would like to do that.''