Watts Tunes Up at All-Comers Track Meet

There were 7-year-olds running their first races, 35-year-olds trying to remember what it was like to run and an 84-year-old happy just to be able to run. There was even an actor in the group.

Together, they helped make up the field in the first of six all-comers track meets at Birmingham High on Wednesday.

And then there was Quincy Watts, the comer. Watts, who recently finished his junior year at Taft High, attracted the attention of other participants before he ever took off his sweat suit. Whispers ranged from “Is that really him ?” to “Wow, I can’t wait to see him run!”

Watts, 17, wasn’t at his competitive best but he didn’t disappoint those in attendance, winning his 100-meter heat in 10.66, three-tenths of a second off his best mark. In fact, the most trouble Watts had all night was getting gum off his shoe that he picked up while waiting in line for a hot dog.

“This is just a workout for me,” said Watts, who runs with the West Valley Eagles track club. “I’m just trying to work on my start and keep in shape.”

“His start is important because when he moves up to national competition, he’ll have to run with people rather than catch them from behind,” said Hilliard Sumner, who co-coaches the Eagles with former Los Angeles Dodger Reggie Smith.

Watts also teamed with Taft teammates David Feinstein and Sean Roberts and Percy Knox, a graduate of Antelope Valley High, to win the 400 relay in 41.7.

Times were generally slow, but some were respectable. The team of Stephanette Lee, Nikywa Prevost, Debra Hamilton and Kanika Conwright won the women’s 400 relay in 49.6

The men’s two-mile field was particularly impressive. Chris Schallert won the race in 8:47.1, followed by Craig Ingram (8:55.0), Steve Brumwell (9:02.0) of the San Fernando Valley track club and Bryan Dameworth (9:03.0) of Agoura High. Brian Clark, a former regular on the daytime soap opera “General Hospital,” finished in 10:07.0

“I haven’t enjoyed anything athletically as much as running,” said Clark, who lives in Toluca Lake. “And that includes 11 years of football.”