Taft’s Watts Expected to Compete in West Valley League Finals Today

Taft’s Quincy Watts, the defending state champion in the 100 and 200 meters, is expected to compete in today’s West Valley League track finals at Birmingham High.

Watts, the top-ranked high school sprinter in the nation by Track and Field News as a junior, was granted an automatic berth in the 200- and 400-meter finals even though he missed last week’s preliminaries. Watts is recovering from a strained right hamstring he injured April 8 against El Camino Real.

“He’ll run unless something freaky occurs and he injures it again,” Coach Tom Stevenson said.

Watts, the two-time defending City Section champion in the 100 and 200 meters, will run in only the 200 and 400 meters.

“He won’t run the relays,” said Stevenson, who lists Watts as 80% fit. “We don’t want to bring him back too quickly.”

Despite missing the relays today, Watts can compete in the events in the City quarterfinals next week, provided Taft places among the top four teams today.