For each of his 10 years as head coach of the Iowa State boxing team, Terry Dowd has produced at least one regional champion.

This year proved to be no exception, as Iowa State All-American R.W. Brown captured the 147-pound title for the second consecutive year by defeating top-ranked Mark Smith of Air Force by a unanimous decision.

The 23-year-old Malvern, Iowa native began boxing competitively in Omaha at the age of 17. It was tradition that lured Brown to the “squared circle.”

“My grandpa and my dad boxed, and that just kind of led me to it,” Brown said.

Brown originally attended Wayne State and planned to play football. However, knee surgery permanently shelved his gridiron hopes.

Although Brown came to Iowa State mainly for academic reasons, he was soon back in the ring. Brown’s “education first” philosophy fit perfectly with Dowd, who has had only one fighter fail to graduate during his tenure as head coach.

“Graduating is the main goal. I’m here to try and build professional people, not professional boxers,” Dowd said.

Dowd requires his boxers to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, not an easy standard when combined with several hours of daily training and at least six competitions per year.

“Not everybody can do this and I understand that,” Dowd said. “I start with about 80 guys in the fall and usually end up with around 20.”

Brown, a health and human performance major, agreed.

“It’s pretty hard to keep up my studies and my training,” he said. “Sometimes I train up to four hours a day.”

To provide relief from this grueling regimen, Dowd sometimes plans social events and get-togethers for the team.

“I mean let’s face it, boxing is a bore,” Dowd said.

Although the training is tough and can be monotonous, Brown knows that all of his hard work has already paid off and will continue to benefit him not only physically, but mentally.

“I’ve learned a lot from boxing. I’ve learned about hard work, patience and determination and what those qualities can do for you,” Brown said.

“Boxing has also made me think a lot and has taught me to make quick decisions,” he added. “People don’t realize it but a lot of thinking goes on during a fight.”

While Brown has not ruled out the possibility of future Olympic competition, he is currently focused on completing his degree and competing at the national tournament.

This year’s tournament will take place April 13, 14 and 15 at The Silver Legacy Casino in Reno, Nevada.

The tournament will be televised on ESPN2 at a later date yet to be announced.