Sprinter reactions night and day at County Clash in Oakdale

As we stand in late March: The fastest young sprinters in Stanislaus and Merced counties are Downey’s Tyran Daniels and Buhach Colony’s Brandy Coward.

They won the 100-meter dashes Friday night at the third annual County Clash and their reactions varied, not unlike sunset and sunrise.

Coward, though happy, responded like an athlete who finishes her seasons at the CIF State Championships. Meanwhile, Daniels was shocked and showed it with a leap to the sky a few strides past the finish line.

“I’m so surprised,” Daniels exclaimed, and he wasn’t kidding.

Daniels found himself in the middle of a three-man fight. To his left was Turlock senior Ryan Weaver, the star of the Stanislaus County Meet two weeks ago. To his right was Pitman sophomore Josh Fletcher.

Weaver appeared to lead early in the race until Daniels found his gear. The times said it all: Daniels the winner in 11.13 seconds, Weaver runner-up at 11:15 and Fletcher third at 11.18.

“I didn’t think I had it at all,” Daniels admitted. “He (Weaver) had me at first until my turnover kicked in.”

This was the kind of competition envisioned by the coaches who started the meeting between the best track athletes of the two counties. The Corral at Oakdale High was the scene of an event growing in stature – it might even include San Joaquin County next year – and an ideal measuring stick two months before the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters at Elk Grove.

Coward, who has verbally committed along with sister Barbara to UC Irvine, displayed why in her entertaining race against runner-up Erykah Hall of Downey. Coward won in 12.29, about 3/10ths faster than Hall, and the duo compared notes later.

“She (Hall) is the most competitive runner I’ve come against since we’ve started,” Coward said.

“You, too,” Hall answered.

“I didn’t have a great start. She was ahead,” Coward explained.

“You have a great turnover, dear,” Hall admired.

“You do push me,” Coward praised.

“We are going to be seeing each other the whole season,” Hall summarized.

Coward, calm after two false starts, closed her night with a victory in the 200 (25.26).

Others enjoyed their moments in sunny and breeze conditions. The Pitman girls swept both relays: Scarlett Tristao, Kiana Clay, Cerah Moren and Madi Todd in the 4x100 (49.95); and Grace Willming, Todd, Moren and Clay in the 4x400 (4:15.61). Clay added to her big night with a win in the 400 (59.49).

Those victories anchored the Pride’s girls team victory with 141 points, far ahead of runner-up Oakdale.

Oakdale junior Hannah Chappell, runner-up in the state discus last June, improved her section-best mark to 147 feet, 8 inches.

Another standout was Atwater’s Alex Vargas, who doubled in the 1,600 (4:36.62) and the 800 (2:01.01). In both races, he stepped to the lead early and dominated.

Vargas keyed Atwater’s team victory. The Falcons totaled 80 points, 14 ahead of second-place Turlock.

Modesto’s Kendall McNair also illustrated the midseason progress of an athlete determined to improve. Last year, he fell during both the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles at Masters. His 110s victory at the clash revealed important steps forward.

“It was horrible. Tears came to my eyes,” he said of his track nightmare last spring. “I’m at school 12 hours a day at class and training. I have to work on my form, but the sky is the limit.”

This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 11:41 PM with the headline "Sprinter reactions night and day at County Clash in Oakdale."