On Monday, USADA announced developments in a major doping scandal stemming from events in December 2023. Richmond, Texas, coach Michael Vowell, has accepted a lifetime ban from the sport after providing his 16-year-old son with testosterone gel during the 2023 USATF Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships. His son, Seth Vowell, received a reduced sanction of two years.
Track and Field Coach Michael Vowell and Track and Field Athlete Seth Vowell Accept Sanctions for Anti-Doping Rule Violations https://t.co/qJlMugmhSW
— USADA (@usantidoping) June 30, 2025
The investigation began after USADA received a tip from a whistleblower. According to the press release, evidence later confirmed that Michael “administered his own prescription testosterone gel to his minor child.” Even in topical form, testosterone, an anabolic agent, is prohibited at all times in athletics.
Michael, 49, was found to have violated three anti-doping rules: possession of a prohibited substance, administration of a prohibited substance and complicity.
While standard anti-doping violations typically result in a four-year suspension, Seth will serve a two-year ban due to the circumstances of this case; all competitive results since Dec. 10, 2023 will be disqualified.
A 10th-grader at William B. Travis High School in Richmond, Seth held personal bests of 2:09.28 in the 800m and 4:35.87 in the 1,600m–both recorded in 2024 and now forfeited.
“This case is a devastating example of why it’s so important for athlete support personnel, including coaches and parents, to put athlete well-being above all else, especially when involving minors,” USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart said in the press release. “And when they don’t, as in this case, they will be held accountable to the full force of the rules.”
Both Michael and Seth’s provisional suspensions began on March 19, 2025.
