No. 2 - No One In Watson's Way
Three weeks after closing her XC season, Watson took the track. Using her XC base, she clocked a state leading 1500m. The following week, Watson took to the new Ocean Breeze Facility, and opened up with a National Leading 1000m, first girl under 3mins in the new year. Then, something happened. Also entered in the 300m dash, as strength work, Watson lost, taking 4th in the final. Normally, this wouldn't be a surprise, the rest time minimal between the two events. And yet, what makes this remarkable, would be the streak that followed.
From that point on, through 50 individual races that would last until the Olympic Trials, Sammy Watson did not lose. 47 of those races were notched as 1st place performances. The wins came in major Invitationals like the Armory Track Invitational, The Penn Relays, and The Loucks Games. They came from two State Meets that saw the greatest female distance fields ever assembled in the Empire State. They came from National Championships were other undefeated athletes came to race her specifically. The streak was unbreakable, and led Sammy to nearly unprecedented heights.
Moment Number 2 can be summed up in one single race. It was two weeks after the New York State Championships, and Watson was already the second best ever 800m runner to hail from the State. She had beaten the best at both the State Meet, as well as Brooks PR, but neither yielded her the desired outcome. The goal was to break 2:03.00, the magic number set as the Olympic Trials Qualifying mark. Watson entered into the USATF Junior National Championships, in an attempt to represent Team USA once again. It was also the last chance to attain her magic mark. The fields were set, the competition was hot, and their conditions were even hotter. On the line, Watson toed the line against the nation's best, including College Freshman. The race for the time, as well as the preservation of the streak, was on.
The gun went off, and Watson sensed the pace was strong. She quickly settled in to fifth, just off the lead pack. But still, there was a time to chase. Changing up the typical race plan, Watson moved to the front, just trailing the leader. The pace went through the first 400m in 60.76, and Watson knew she could approach the qualifying time. Watson swings to the outside lane at 300m, and moves past the leaders, to take the lead into the finishing stretch. The field swings with her at 100m to go, and a blanket finish is in the danger. For Watson, the streak is on the line, as well as a trip to Poland to represent Team USA. She covers Aaliyah Miller's move, and responds through the line. She holds off the move by less than .2secs, and captures gold. One look at the clock, as it reads 2:02.91, and it was "Mission Accomplished."
Watson would go on to compete at the Olympic Trials, where she would take third in her heat. She had plenty left in the tank, but her heat was one of the slower contingent's, so she was knocked out. Had it been a faster heat, Watson closed so well on the professional athletes, who knows what could have happened. Her story still continues, as she competes this week in Poland.
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