Watts Holds Key to Taft’s Title Chances

If Quincy Watts can extend his individual winning streak, Taft High has a good chance to win its second straight team title at the 69th state track championships, which begin this afternoon at Sacramento’s Hughes Stadium.

Watts, the defending state champion at 200 meters, is favored to win his second straight title in that event and his first 100-meter crown. He placed second in the 100 in 1986.

Corey Ealy of Muir High in Pasadena figures to be Watts’ stiffest competition. Ealy and Watts have run 10.36 in the 100, the fastest high school time in the nation this season. Watts has run a national-best 20.69 in the 200. Ealy has run 20.80.

Although their times are almost identical, Watts may have a psychological edge over Ealy. Watts hasn’t lost a race to Ealy in the last two years. He was 4-0 against Ealy in 1986 and he’s beaten the Muir senior three times this season.

The outcome of the sprints could determine the boys team title. Favorites Taft, Muir and Hawthorne figure to score the majority of their points in those events. Hawthorne had a string of three consecutive state titles snapped by Taft last year.

The 400-meter relay could be the most talent-laden event of the meet. The Taft quartet of David Feinstein, Sean Roberts, David Flores and Watts have run a state-best 40.88, but Hawthorne (40.91) and Muir (40.92) also have broken 41 seconds.

The same Taft foursome will comprise the Toreadors’ 1,600-meter relay team, which has run 3:16.06.

Royal could ride the massive shoulders of 6-0, 240-pound Dave Bultman to a top-five finish.

Bultman, a transfer from San Jose’s Independence High, is favored to win the shotput and discus. He has personal bests of 62-0 and 192-1 in the respective events. The Royal senior has the state’s best throw in the discus and is ranked third in the shotput.

Bultman, who is undefeated against California high school competition this season, will attempt to become the third shotput-discus champion in state meet history.

Shelton Boykin of San Fernando also could win two events. He is tied for the state’s best time in the 110-meter high hurdles (13.84) and ranks third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (37.47).

Travis Cooksey of Rio Mesa, the Southern Section 4-A and Masters champion, is another Valley-area athlete with a shot at an individual title in Sacramento. The Spartan junior has run 1:52.05 for 800 meters, the fastest time in the state.

In the girls meet, the Thousand Oaks tandem of Staci Leach and Sharon Manship could lead the Lancers to a team finish in the top five.

Leach is the Southern Section 4-A champion in the 300-meter low hurdles and the runner-up in the 100-meter lows. Manship won the 4-A triple jump and placed second in the 300 lows.

Agoura’s Jenny Whelchel, Newbury Park’s Melissa Sutton and Simi Valley’s Robert Harris will all try to improve upon their fifth-place efforts at last season’s state championship.

Whelchel has thrown 42-4 in the shotput and Harris has run 21.38 in the 200.

Harris will also run legs on Simi Valley’s relay teams. The Pioneers have run 41.47 in the 400 relay and 3:14.94 in the 1,600 relay.

Simi Valley’s 400 relay consists of Danny Cross, Ron Bradley, Harris and Mike Carnes. Hatcher replaces Carnes to complete the quartet in the 1,600 relay.

Sutton will run in the 1,600 meters this year after running in the 3,200 in 1986.

Qualifying events begin today at noon. Saturday’s finals begin at 2:30 p.m.