# Dowling Catholic High School

Dowling Catholic High School is a Catholic secondary school in West Des Moines, Iowa, within the Diocese of Des Moines.
As of the 2013–14 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,431 students and 94.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.1:1. The school's enrollment was 81.2% White, 4.1% Black, 10.2% Hispanic, 4.4% Asian and 0.1% American Indian / Alaska Native.

## History

It was created in 1972 by the merger of St. Joseph Academy for girls (established in 1884) and Dowling High School for boys (established in 1918 as the Des Moines College boarding school for boys).

## Academics

During the 2003–04 school year, Dowling Catholic High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive.

## Tuition

Total tuition cost for 2018-2019 is $11,176 plus fees. Tuition for students belonging to a Catholic Parish is $7,986 plus fees. Tuition for international students is $12,076 plus fees.

## Extracurricular activities
### Baseball

The Maroons hold the record for most team home runs during a championship game with 5 in 2001.
Baseball State Championships :
| Year | Record | Opponent | Score |
| 1988 | 39–2 | Ames | 9–8 |
| 1989 | 38–5 | Fort Dodge | 8–5 |
| 1999 | 33–13 | Ankeny | 6–1 |
| 2001 | 42–3 | Marshaltown | 13–2 |
| 2011 | 36-7 | Mason City | 6-1 |

### Boys' basketball

State Boys' Basketball Championships :
| Year | Score | Opponent |
| 1957 | 69–66 | Waterloo, West |
| 1979 | 60–57 | Davenport Central |
Bobby Hansen who later played at the University of Iowa and nine years in the NBA, was on the 1979 state championship team.

### Cross country
#### Girls

State Cross Country Team Championships :
| Year | Finishes | Score |
| 2007 | 1-2-6-8-15 | 32 |
| 2008 | 1-2-9-24-33 | 69 |
| 2009 | 1-2-11-15-28 | 57 |
| 2010 | 3-4-14-19-20 | 60 |
| 2011 | 1-6-14-20-22 | 63 |
* 2007 Girls' Heartland Regional Champions

#### Boys

State Cross Country Team Championship Wins :
| Year | Finishes | Score |
| 1974 | 4-9-10-16 | 39 |
| 1985 | 3-8-15-36 | 62 |
| 2011 | 3-6-12-18-31 | 70 |
| 2012 | 1-6-8-18-27 | 60 |
| 2015 | 1-9-13-17-29 | 69 |
| 2016 | 3-8-13-23-53 | 100 |
| 2018 | 4-7-15-17-29 | 72 |
| 2019 | 2-14-16-17-38 | 87 |
| 2021 | 1-7-9-18-21 | 58 |
| 2022 | 1-5-9-13-23 | 51 |
| 2023 | 3-10-18-19-22 | 72 |

### Debate

Dowling is the home of the Dowling Catholic Paradigm, one of the largest debate tournaments held by a school. In 2015, Dowling Catholic won 2 state titles for Congressional Debate, 1 for Public Forum debate, and 1 for Lincoln Douglas Debate.

### Football

Home games are played at the 9,500 seat Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, Williams Stadium, or at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. In 2019, they became the first school in Iowa history to win seven straight Class 4A state championships.
Dowling made the playoffs 17 years in a row beginning in 1985 and ending in 2002 when Dowling missed the playoffs. The school won 36 consecutive games in the 1967 through 1971 graduating class seasons. Dowling won 64 consecutive Metro conference games, a streak lasting from 1968 to 1977. In addition to the 64 metro games Dowling also won 57 consecutive conference games lasting from 1993 to 2002. WDM, Valley is Dowling's primary rival since 1968 when the schools joined the Des Moines Metro Conference.
State 4-A Football Championships :
| 2000 (13–0) | 35–28 | Bettendorf High (11–2) |
| 2001 (13–0) | 35–15 | Iowa City High (12–1) |
| 2010 (14–0) | 38-31(OT) | Iowa City High (13–1) |
| 2013 (14–0) | 44–13 | Cedar Rapids Xavier (12–2) |
| 2014 (13–1) | 49–14 | Washington High School (13–1) |
| 2015 (13–0) | 41–10 | C. R. Kennedy (13–1) |
| 2016 (12–1) | 23–10 | Iowa City West (10–3) |
| 2017 (12–1) | 35–21 | Iowa City West (12–1) |
| 2018 (11–2) | 22–16 | Cedar Falls (12–1) |
| 2019 (12–1) | 21–16 | West Des Moines Valley (12–1) |

### Swimming

The boys' swimming team won four championships, consecutively from 2001 to 2003. The girls' swim team won their first state title during the 2019 season.

### Boys' tennis

Boys-2A State of Iowa High School Tennis Championships :
| Year | Team Titles/Player Titles | Opponent | Score |
| 1992 | 2A-Team Title | Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School | 5–3 |
| 2001 | 2A-Team Title | Dubuque Senior High School | 5–3 |

### Wrestling

* Dowling has won State Dual Wrestling Championships in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992
* Dowling has won the State Traditional Wrestling Championship in 1975, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1990, and 1991
State Wrestling Team Championships :
| Year | Score |
| 1975 | 46.5 |
| 1978 | 94.5 |
| 1984 | 115 |
| 1988 | 124.5 |
| 1990 | 109.5 |
| 1991 | 91 |
* Dowling has the state record for most consecutive dual wins with 136 set from January 1986 to January 1992

## Notable alumni

* Michael Annett, professional NASCAR driver
* Jennie Baranczyk, head coach of women's basketball at University of Oklahoma
* Chris Broussard, sports journalist
* Caitlin Clark (class of 2020), professional basketball player for Indiana Fever (WNBA); played college basketball 2020-2024 University of Iowa
* Shawn Crahan, Slipknot percussionist
* Amara Darboh, former NFL wide receiver
* Clare Duwelius, American basketball executive
* Jerry Groom, College Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman
* Matt Haack, NFL punter
* Bobby Hansen, NBA basketball player
* Tom Harkin, United States Senator (Iowa)
* Bob Harlan, former president of the Green Bay Packers
* George Kinley, businessman and Iowa state legislator
* Matt Macri, MLB third baseman
* Mike Mahoney, MLB catcher
* Karen Maine, director and screenwriter of Yes, God, Yes
* Matt McCoy, Iowa State Senator
* Scott Pose, Major League Baseball player
* Karissa Schweizer, professional distance runner
* Tyson Smith, NFL linebacker
* Fred L. Turner, former CEO of McDonald's
* Ross Verba, NFL lineman