Samantha Watson

Last updated
Samantha Watson
2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships (28891547008) (cropped).jpg
Watson in 2018
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1999-11-10) November 10, 1999 (age 25)
Rochester, New York, U.S.
Education Temple University
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Sport
Sport Track and field
Event(s) 800 metres, Mile
College team Texas A&M '19
Rush-Henrietta Senior High School 2017
Turned pro2019
Coached byJebreh Harris
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)400 m: 52.69 (2015)
800 m: 1:59.96 (2024)
1500 m: 4:21.45 (2018)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
IAAF World U20 Championships
2018 Tampere 800 m
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Bydgoszcz 4x400 m
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Bydgoszcz 800 m
IAAF World U18 Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2015 Cali 800 m
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2015 Cali M4x400 m

Samantha "Sammy" Watson (born November 10, 1999) is an American middle-distance runner from New York.

Contents

Career

Watson placed fourth in 800 m in 2:04.11 at 2020 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships. [1]

Watson placed sixth in 800 at 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa in a time of 2:01.70. [2] [3]

Watson placed 11th in 800 meters at 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships – Women's 800 metres in Tampere, Finland in a time of 2:03.95.

Watson placed first in 800 meters at 2018 USA U20 Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Bloomington, Indiana in a time of 2:01.46.

Sammy Watson finished sixth on Sunday, June 25, 2017 in the 800 meters at the United States National Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California. [4]

A time of 2:43.18 at 1,000 meters, set at altitude during the prelims 2017 USATF Indoor Championships held in Albuquerque, bettered the national high school record of 2:43.43 set in 2005 by Sarah Brown. In the final she lowered the record to 2:40.72 in placing fourth among a field of professional athletes. [5]

Sammy Watson's 800 meters mark broke the 1974 national record of 2:01.8 set by Mary Decker and it is also the U.S. Junior record. Video: Sammy Watson After Running 2:01.78 800 to Break Mary Decker's HS Record. [6]

International accolades for Sammy Watson include winning gold-medal as a 2016 World junior title in the 800 meters while and running on the gold-medal 4x400 relay. [7] Watson made her second Team USA in Clovis, California at USA Junior (U20) Outdoor Track and Field Championships winning the 800 meters title in a time of 2:02.91. [8]

In 2015, she was the World youth champion in the 800 meters. Watson was 15 when she claimed the World Youth 800m title in 2:03.54 after winning 2015 USA Junior Olympics 15-16 year old 800 meters title in a time of 2:08.73 and 15-16 year old 400 meters title in a time of 54.31 in Jacksonville, Florida. [9]

Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
IAAF Championships
2018 2018 IAAF World Junior (U20) Championships 11th 800 m 2:03.95
2016 2016 IAAF World Junior (U20) Championships 1st 800 m 2:04.52
1st 4x400 m 3:29.11
2015 2015 IAAF World Youth (U18) Championships 1st800 m2:03.54
1st Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay 3:19.54
USA Track and Field Championships
Representing Adidas
2023 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 7th800 m2:02.07
2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships 6th800 m2:03.04
2022 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 10th800 m2:00.90
2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships 6th800 m2:03.92
2021 2020 United States Olympic Trials 31st800 m2:03.83
2020 2020 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships 4th800 m2:04.11
2019 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships [10] 6th800 m2:01.70
Representing Texas A&M University
2018 USA Junior (U20) Outdoor Track and Field Championships [11] 1st800 m2:01.46
Representing Rush-Henrietta High School
2017 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships [12] 6th800 m2:00.99
2017 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships [13] 4th1000 m2:40.72
2016 USA Junior (U20) Outdoor Track and Field Championships [14] 1st800 m2:02.91
2015 USA Junior (U18) Outdoor Track and Field Championships [15] 1st800 m2:01.46
2014 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships [16] 3rd400 m54.94
2nd800 m2:06.35

NCAA

Watson placed first in 800 meters in a time of 2:04.21 at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Watson placed first in 800 meters in a time of 2:03.37 at the 2018 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Watson placed third in 800 in a time of 2:02.65 at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in College Station, Texas after winning her first title in the 800 m at 2018 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Watson ran on the 4th place Distance medley relay at Southeastern Conference final. Watson ran a time of 2:42.12 in the 1,000m which ranks seventh on the collegiate indoor all-time list and bettered the Texas A&M University school record of 2:43.15 set last season by Jasmine Fray. Texas A&M's Sammy Watson anchored the Aggie distance medley relay to a school and meet record of 11:12.06 to win the event at the Ted Nelson Invitational. [17]

Representing Texas A&M University
Year Southeastern Conference
Indoor track and field
Championships
NCAA
Indoor
Championships
Southeastern Conference
Outdoor track and field
Championships
NCAA Division I
Outdoor track and field
Championships
2018800 m 1st
2:04.25
800 m 3rd
2:02.65
800 m 1st
2:03.37
800 m 1st
2:04.21
DMR 4th
11:21.86
4x400 m 5th
3:29.61

[18]

Prep

In the 800m, Watson's 2:00.65 ranks third all-time in United States high school and she also produced five of the top 10 all-time performances. Watson's career best times by Watson from her high school career include 52.69 (400 meters), 1:27.13 (600 meters indoors), 2:00.65 (800 meters), 4:22.09 (1,500 meters) and 4:47.49 (mile indoors). In 2017 indoor season, Watson established national high school records at 600 meters (1:27.13), 800 meters (2:01.78) and 1,000 meters (2:40.72 A). [19]

In the 2017 outdoor track season, Watson placed 5th in a time of 55.90 in 400 meters and 2nd in one mile invitational section in 4:47.72 at Arcadia Invitational in April 2017, [20] ran 2:01.47 placed 3rd behind 1:59.87 winner Charlene Lipsey and runner up Chrishuna Williams in 800 meters at Prefontaine Classic in May 2017, [21] placed 2nd in a time of 2:00.78 behind 1:59.57 winner Charlene Lipsey in 800 meters on June 2 at Adidas Boost Boston Games, [22] and won 800 meters title in a time of 2:05.70 at 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 18, 2017 (1 week before USA Outdoor in Sacramento, California).

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References

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  3. "Thankful for a healthy and strong race tonight😊 2:01.7 for 6th place. this is just the beginning for young rookie Sammy WATSON #adidasrunning". July 28, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  4. "Samantha Watson Finishes Sixth At The USATF Championships Billy Cvecko". June 25, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  5. "Sammy Watson Obliterates 1K National Record By Three Seconds". FloTrack. March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
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