Watts to Rejoin Taft Track Team Today

Although he is the defending state champion in the 100- and 200-meter sprints, Quincy Watts of Taft High will make his outdoor debut in the 400- and 800-meter runs in a nonleague track meet at San Fernando High at 2:30 this afternoon.

Watts, who also won the state 200 title in 1986, did not compete in Taft’s first meet two weeks ago because the Taft basketball team had just concluded its season.

Watts, a 6-3, 197-pound guard, averaged 19.4 points a game and helped Taft advance to the quarterfinals of the City Section 4-A Division playoffs before losing to Fremont, 54-53.

“We don’t want to bring him back too fast,” Taft track Coach Tom Stevenson said. “That’s why we’re running him in those events. The meet will primarily be a workout for Q. It should be interesting to see what happens.”

Watts, the No. 1-ranked high school sprinter in the country according to Track and Field News, led the national high school list in both the 100 (10.30 seconds) and 200 (20.50) in 1987. He has led Taft to two consecutive City titles.