West Valley Seeks Another Track Title

The West Valley Eagles track club will pursue its second national title in three weeks Saturday at the Junior Olympic national championships at Brigham Young University.

With Taft High sprinter Quincy Watts leading the way, the Eagles waltzed to The Athletics Congress youth title in the young men’s division (for athletes born in 1969 and ‘70) in Philadelphia on July 5.

Watts, who has won three state sprint titles at Taft, will run in two individual races and both relays at BYU. He would run in five events were it not for rules which prohibit an athlete from competing in more than four events. Watts qualified in the 100, 200 and 400 meters and the 400- and 1,600-meter relay.

West Valley co-Coach Hilliard Sumner said he’s not sure what individual races Watts will enter.

“I’ll put Quincy in the events where he can do us the most good,” Sumner said.

Even though Watts is the leading thoroughbred in the West Valley stable, he’s not a one-man show.

Brian Bridgewater of Washington High in Los Angeles, Tony Miller of Riordan in San Francisco and Percy Knox, a June graduate of Antelope Valley, give the Eagles a formidable quartet.

Bridgewater will run in the 200 and both relays and Miller will run the 100, 200 and both relays. Knox, the state champion in the long jump, will run in the 100 and both relays.

The Eagles tuned up for the Junior Olympic championships at last Saturday’s Track City International age-group meet in Springfield, Ore.

With Watts leading the way, the Eagles set four meet records.

Watts won the 200 (21.01 seconds) and 400 meters (46.98), and anchored the victorious 400- (41.31) and 1,600-meter relay teams (3 minutes, 22 seconds).

Bridgewater set the other meet record, winning the 100 in a personal best of 10.51. He also placed second in the 200 (21.31) and ran a leg on the 1,600 relay.