Watts Again Settles for 3rd in TAC Junior Track Finals

For the second day in a row, Quincy Watts of Taft High finished third in a sprint event at The Athletics Congress junior track championships Saturday at Florida State University.

Competing for The Win America Track and Athletics Club, Watts ran 21.03 in the 200 meters, well behind winner Chris Barnes (20.73) of Silsbee High, Tex.

North Carolina State freshman Kevin Brounskill placed second in 20.84 and Win America teammate Bryan Bridgewater, who defeated Watts earlier this month in the CIF state meet, placed fourth in 21.06.

Watts ran 10.48 for third in the 100 on Friday.

Former Royal High standout Dave Bultman placed second in the shotput with an effort of 57-6 and will represent the U. S. junior team in the World Junior track championships in Sudbury, Canada, July 26-31.

Texas A&M; freshman Mike Stulce won the shotput at 60-9 1/2.

The top two finishers in each event qualify for the U. S. team.

Although Watts ran 20.67 to place second in last year’s junior championships in Tucson, Ariz., he has had a frustrating senior season.

Watts, ranked No. 1 in the nation among prep sprinters by Track and Field News as a junior, injured his hamstring April 8 in a dual meet.

“He’s only about 93 or 94% (fit),” Taft assistant and Win America Coach Hilliard Sumner said earlier this week. “We’re hoping he’ll be 100% by the (Olympic) trials.”

Watts ran 10.30 in the 100 and 20.50 in the 200 in last year’s Junior Olympic championships in Provo, Utah, to qualify for the trials.