Beau Brown, right, started his junior season being named conference athlete of the week in his first meet. (Photo Submitted)
Beau Brown had “really good luck” avoiding injuries during his high school sports career at Mercer County where he was part of three state championship teams and won seven state titles.
However, once he got to Centre College his luck took a turn for the worse and he was injured for both the 2024 and 2025 track seasons, something he hopes has changed this season.
Brown’s freshman season started well but he pulled his hamstring at practice after winter break. He thought it had healed but reinsured his hamstring at the Southern Athletic Association Indoor Championship.
“Then I was healthy through the summer, was training for my sophomore year and got a herniated disc. I was definitely rushing back, he said. “I have done a lot of rehab because I had a lot of scar tissue. After I hurt my hamstring the second time, I took more time to make sure I was really good for about six months before I got the herniated disc. It wasn’t any specific thing I did to cause it but I am glad I am okay now.”
Coach Lisa Owens is hoping he’s better than okay and he looked that way at Centre’s opening meet when he was clocked in 21.43 seconds to win the 200-meter dash. He was also second in the 60-meter dash in 6.89 seconds.
Brown not only ran track at Mercer but he also played soccer, so not competing was difficult for him.
I am not going to lie. It was horrible,” the Centre College junior said. “Track was a big reason why I ended up coming to Centre because of the track program. Not being able to do that and just being a student for two years kind of sucked to be honest. School was great, though. I had a good time, made really good friends. But as far as not being able to enjoy my biggest passion it really sucked.”
Brown’s impressive start in Centre’s first indoor didn’t change his expectations for this year because he’s always set high standards for himself.
“I had really high expectations coming into college and I would say they have only gone up despite my injuries. I really want to do well because I only have two years left,” Brown said.
Owens believes Brown has the potential to reach the Division III national championships, a goal Brown says if he doesn’t reach in the 200 he will be disappointed. He also wants to go under 21 seconds in the 200.
“That’s been my goal since I graduated high school. It’s a pretty heavy goal, but I think after the first meet it is definitely a possibility this year,” Brown said.
He broke the 200 Class AA state record in 2023 with his winning finish of 21.46 seconds even though he had competed in the 400-meter run less than an hour before the 200 final.
“I knew then I could go faster if I was fresh, so I know I definitely have a whole lot more in the 200 to come if I just stay healthy,” Brown said.
His next meet will be the Centre Showcase Jan. 24. The SAA Indoor Championships will be at Centre Feb. 27-28 and the NCAA Indoor Championships March 13-14 in Birmingham.
Brown would prefer to run the 100- and 200-meter dashes this season along with relays. However, he understands the team may need him in the 400.
“I have a love-hate relationship with the 400. It’s definitely the hardest race for me because it is just an all-out sprint and your heart is definitely pounding at the end because you have nothing left,” Brown said.
The Centre sprinter believes in associate coach Edwin Hagans’ ability to get the most out of his speed.
“He’s one of the best coaches because he has this book he follows. It’s an older book but he gets our workouts out of there and they are easy to follow and he knows they work,” Brown said. “We know exactly what we are going to do every day and what we are supposed to be hitting for each rep.”
Owens attended Mercer County High School and Brown’s mother was on the track team with her.
“I just sort of knew of her (Owens) when I started looking at schools. I had seven or eight visits but my two big choices were Western Kentucky or here which were drastically different,” Brown said.
Obviously Centre was closer to home and Brown’s mother had a connection with Owens. One factor, though, was strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Carlson, Brown’s strength coach in high school who returned to Centre. It also impressed Brown that Owens and Hagans made a home visit.
“Coach Carlson was really pitching Centre but not trying to sway me. It felt really special when coach Owens and coach Hagans did a home visit. They said it was the first time they had ever done that,” Brown said. “Plus, I knew the track program was really good and we were getting a new (indoor) facility and weight room along with the outdoor track being redone. So all that with it being close to home just made it easy to pick Centre.”
Brown, a business major, currently has a “unique” internship at a video game store in Lawrenceburg during winter term.
“Last summer I started reselling video games on eBay and I met the store owner and we made a connection,” the Centre junior said. “I started working with him a little bit and it seemed like a perfect opportunity for my internship. I never quite realized how big video games were and it has been really interesting working at the store.”
