Watts Lights Up Track in 200 Meters at Pepsi Invitational

Quincy Watts usually approaches races with a single goal--to win. The Taft High junior was forced to alter his thinking, however, for Saturday’s Pepsi Invitational at UCLA.

It’s not every day that a 16-year-old competes against some of the top sprinters in the country--sprinters like Olympian Harvey Glance and Mark Witherspoon, who have run 10.05 and 10.13 in the 100 meters.

“I didn’t expect to take anything,” Watts admitted. “I didn’t expect to finish in the top five.

“Those guys were so experienced that I just wanted to give a good account of myself.”

He accomplished that, placing seventh in the 100 and second in the 200. His times of 10.36 and 20.87 were both personal bests and the fastest times in the nation for a high school athlete this season.

James Glenn of Roosevelt High in Dallas had a 10.48 in the 100; Watts had run 20.89 in the 200.

Although Watts placed higher in the 200 on Saturday, his performance against a stronger field in the 100 was the superior effort. In the 100, he had one of his best starts of the year but found himself in a unfamiliar position at 30 meters--last place.

“I knew those guys were really experienced, so when they got out ahead of me I just tried to relax,” Watts said.

“I just started concentrating on technique, lifting my knees and pumping my arms.”

Watts passed Stanley Floyd of the Santa Monica Track Club and Tao Zhen of China in the last 30 meters. Witherspoon and Glance finished 1-2 with times of 10.14, the third-fastest clocking in the world this year.

Watts’ effort lowered his previous best by .15 seconds.

“The 100 felt good,” he said. “I thought it was quick but I didn’t know how fast until they announced it.”

In the 200, Watts was fifth coming out of the turn, but he passed three runners in the last 100 meters to finish behind Henry Thomas (20.37) of UCLA.

Watts said he felt faster in the 200 than the 100 and appeared a little disappointed when Taft Coach Tom Stevenson informed him of his time.

“I want to run 20.5 this year and I thought this was the meet to do it,” he said. “I know I’m not going to get stiffer competition than I did today.