Red Bank sprinter Kameno Watson in hurry for 2 Tennessee state titles

By Stephen Hargis

Monday, May 21, 2012

photo Kameno Watson

Area state track qualifiers

GirlsAtara Abdullah-Muhammad (Cleveland) - Long jump, triple jumpQetuwarah Abdullah-Muhammad (Cleveland) - Pentathlon, long jump, 100 meters, 100 hurdlesLeondra Barrett (Ooltewah) - 100 hurdles, 300 hurdlesTori Blackmon (Rhea County) - 100 hurdles, 300 hurdlesMichelle Bradley (Ooltewah) - High jump, 800 runSimone Busby (GPS) - Discus, shot putDaisha Callahan (Central) - 100 metersRachel Celestine (GPS) - Shot putKiana Davis (Ooltewah) - 200 metersPaige Elliott (Baylor) - 400 metersAaliyah Featherstone (Ooltewah) - Shot putAlly Fien (Soddy-Daisy) - Discus, shot putKayla Gash (Cleveland) - DiscusAbbi Harr (GPS) - 800 runChancis Jones (Central) - Long jump, triple jumpKate Kaufman (Baylor) - Pole vaultTory Kemp (GPS) - Pentathlon, long jump, triple jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdlesJanessa Kennedy (East Ridge) - DiscusJeshayla King (Howard) - DiscusMarissa Langford (Cleveland) - High jump, 400Destinee Lansden (GPS) - 100, 200, 400Megan Luketic (Notre Dame) - High jumpChelsea Mills (Red Bank) - Long jump, 200Tiana Mills (GPS) - DiscusJenna Millsaps (Soddy-Daisy) - 300 hurdlesHaleigh Montgomery (East Hamilton) - 100 hurdlesSophie Mullin (Notre Dame) - 1600 runChafelmer Mumba (Red Bank) - Pole vaultRachel Payne (Baylor) - Pentathlon, pole vault, 100 hurdlesIzzy Phillips (GPS) - PentathlonJalesa Poindexter (GPS) - 100, 200Selena Popp (Baylor) - Pentathlon, high jump, 100 hurdlesDeronesha Smartt (Howard) - Pentathlon, triple jumpNicole Sumida (Baylor) - High jumpPeyton Thomas (Baylor) - Long jump, triple jump, high jumpHaley Ward (McMinn County) - 1600, 3200Victoria Wicks (Baylor) - Pentathlon, 300 hurdles4x100 - Baylor, Central, Cleveland, GPS4x200 - Baylor, Central, Soddy-Daisy, Tyner4x400 - Baylor, Cleveland Soddy-Daisy4x800 - Baylor, GPS, McMinn CountyBoysPatrick Bryant (Baylor) - 400 metersJamaal Calvin (McCallie) - Long jump, triple jumpKeionta Davis (Red Bank) - Shot putShane Etherton (Notre Dame) - 800Cydale Goldston (Bradley Central) - Triple jumpRue Goldston (Bradley Central) - Decathlon, 110 hurdlesMatthew Harris (McMinn Central) - 400Chaz Hawkins (Signal Mountain) - 110 hurdlesWill Hilliker (Cleveland) - Pole vaultSimon Holden (Baylor) - 3200, 1600, 800Justin Houston (Bradley Central) - 110 hurdles, 300 hurdlesAkeem Humphrey (Bradley Central) - 400Iman Isang (McCallie) - Triple jump, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdlesMatt Jenkins (Soddy-Daisy) - 3200Jack Jones (McCallie) - 400Matthew Jones (McCallie) - 1600Ben Kirk (Soddy-Daisy) - 800Hunter McClain (Ooltewah) - 400Brandt McGregor (Chattanooga Christian) - DecathlonJosh Moffett (Rhea County) - 300 hurdlesCedrick Nevins (McMinn County) - 200Julian Nunally (McCallie) - Discus, shot putMatthew Oellerich (Baylor) - Decathlon, pole vaultShaun Qualls (Cleveland) - 100Ramsey Ritchie (McCallie) - 3200, 1600Jared Scalla (Notre Dame) - 300 hurdlesPatrick Shultz (Walker Valley) - 3200, 1600Harold Smith (Bradley Central) - 800Jeffrey Stokes (Bradley Central) - Long jumpJames Stovall (Bradley Central) - Decathlon, high jump, triple jumpAlex Sumida (Baylor) - 800Patrick Taylor (Arts & Sciences) - Long jumpAlex Trotter (McCallie) - 100, 200Reggie Upshaw (Baylor) - High jumpJohn Vannatta (South Pittsburg) - 400T.J. Warren (Ooltewah) - 110 hurdlesLaDarious Watkins (East Hamilton) - High jumpKameno Watson (Red Bank) - 100, 2004x100 - Ooltewah, McCallie4x200 - Baylor, Bradley Central, Hixson, McCallie4x400 - Baylor, Hixson, Ooltewah, McCallie4x800 - Baylor, Bradley Central, East Hamilton, McCallie

Kameno Watson hopes his high school track career ends faster than anyone else's this week.

Red Bank's senior sprinter knows that would mean he has run the two fastest events - the 100- and 200-meter dashes - ahead of the competition, and that would equal leaving Murfreesboro with state championships in both.

Watson finished second in the 200 and sixth in the 100 last year. But in events in which first through eighth place typically are determined by fractions of a second, Watson knows the importance of every aspect from a quick start out of the starting blocks to the finish-line lean.

"Everybody's top-end speed is pretty much the same, so if you can get out ahead of everybody you can hold them off," Watson said. "My coaches always tell me to be aggressive, and that's what I plan to do at the state meet.

"I'll look at other people's qualifying times, but those don't intimidate me or make me overconfident, regardless of where I rank. I know I just have to relax and then follow through all my steps once the race starts. If I do that, I feel like I'll be fine. One thing I know, no matter how fast people have run before that day, they still have to run faster than me on that day."

The state track competition begins today with the girls' pentathlon and the first half of the boys' decathlon at Middle Tennessee State University. The other girls' events will be held Thursday and the boys' championship meet is Friday, both at MTSU.

Watson, who signed to play football for Lindsey Wilson College as a receiver, did not lose to an area opponent in the 100 or 200 this year. He had the top 200 qualifying time in last week's sectional and finished second in the 100, despite running with a slightly pulled muscle in his right leg - actually falling as he finished the 200.

Watson, who admits he feels more confident in the 200 because his speed can overcome a poor start, said the injury has hindered his practice sessions but he expects adrenaline to take over at the state meet.

"Being a senior and having been there last year and knowing what to expect, all that experience plus his natural ability will really help," Red Bank coach Hugh Enicks said. "Those two races are usually so close at the finish, so if Kameno is set mentally he has the talent to become a state champion.

"He's been working a lot on being more explosive out of the blocks, so hopefully that will pay off and he'll be a fast finisher."

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.