Coward to test hamstring at Division I track and field trials

Brandy Coward is used to peaking at this time of year.

The Buhach Colony senior established herself as one of the top sprinters in the Sac-Joaquin Section last year, winning the Masters 200-meter dash (24.85 second) and finishing second in the 100 (12.15).

After advancing to the CIF State Meet her first three years, Coward isn’t sure she’ll advance past this week’s Division I section championships in Elk Grove, which start today.

Coward injured her right hamstring during practice on April 20 and won’t be competing at full strength. She will only compete in the 200-meter dash after qualifying for the state meet in the 100 and 200 last year.

Coward, who recently signed her national letter of intent to accept a track scholarship to UC Irvine along with twin sister Barbara, isn’t trying to break personal records or win races this week. Her goal is to advance to next week’s Masters meet.

“That’s the goal,” Coward said. “I’m hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Anything can happen. No matter what happens I can’t be too disappointed.”

Coward barely kept her season alive at the Central California Conference championships on May 9. After deciding only to compete in the 200, Coward finished fourth with a time of 27.40 seconds. Only the top four finishers qualify for divisionals.

“I was pretty scared,” Coward said. “Honestly, I didn’t think I’d qualify. My coaches told me to go easy. I could feel it tighten up but it didn’t pull. I struggled just to place.”

Coward has spent recent days doing light workouts: a lot of short runs, basically to keep her conditioning up, and nothing explosive.

She said her hamstring is feeling better but she hasn’t pushed it, so she and her coaches are unsure how her leg will respond in competition.

“I don’t know how hard she will have to push it this week or how hard she can push it,” said Buhach Colony sprint coach Jeff Eastman. “She says she’s about 85 percent. Eight-five percent of Brandy might be on par with the rest of the competition.”

The top 12 in each event from the Division I championships qualify for Masters. The top eight reach the finals.

One of Eastman’s biggest fears is Coward letting her competitive nature take over in the race and pushing herself too hard.

“That’s probably my No. 1 concern,” Eastman said. “Brandy is not one to fall back and be beat. She’s a fighter. The question is how hard will she push it. She’s not comfortable with somebody having a lead on her.”

Eastman and the Buhach Colony coaches have told Coward if she feels any pulling in her hamstring to tell them and they’ll shut her down. Short of that, they’ll leave the decision to run up to her.

“It’s very different for me,” Coward said. “Trust me, I’m a competitor and going in knowing I’m not at my best is tough for me. Going to state the last three years, it would be great to go back, but I have to get state out of my mind. I think if I can make it to Masters, it would be great. I can only do my best.”

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Coward to test hamstring at Division I track and field trials."