Pine Creek freshman Watt becomes double state champion, winning 100, 200 dashes

LAKEWOOD – Alleandra Watt had decent preliminary times in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, yet she had no credentials. Now, she owns two state titles – and a ton of swagger.

“I’m at this point as a freshman,” Watt said with a big grin. “Just wait until I’m a senior.”

The Pine Creek sprinter overcame blustery weather to make a larger-than-expected splash at the state track and field championships Saturday at Jefferson County Stadium, turning the momentum of blistering starts into a pair of convincing victories in the 5A finals.

PHOTO GALLERIES FROM STATE: DAY 1 l DAY 2 l DAY 3

In a light rainfall in the 100, Watt crossed the finish line in 11.79 seconds to beat Zainab Sanni of Smoky Hill by 0.08 of a second and Chyna Ries of George Washington by 0.19. Watt wasn’t tested as much in claiming the 200 in 24.11 seconds – 0.78 of a second ahead of Sanni and 0.99 in front of Tashay Brown of Eaglecrest.

“These people know who I am now a little bit,” said Watt, who also ran the anchor leg on the 400 relay team that took second behind Loveland, falling by 0.39 of a second. Watt added, “It’s kind of just mind-blowing. I never thought I could do it, but I just did it.”

Watt ran track as a seventh-grader at Challenger Middle School, then in the eighth grade, she was more passionate about soccer and track became nothing more than a “hobby” for her, she conceded. When Watt resumed track this year, she “never really knew how fast I was,” she said. “I’ve just been working so hard on my blocks. That finally helped me.”

In the 100, “I pushed out, and I was able to start my race properly,” Watt said. However, Sanni and Ries weren’t that far behind, with Watt huffing and puffing to the finish. “I felt them,” Watt said. “They were just right there. But I just kept pushing it and pushing it.”

Watt trailed Sanni in the 200 before passing her around the straightaway. “I knew that I might have been favored, but I still had to perform,” Watt said. “I just caught the person in front of me, and then I knew I would be good. I did the same exact thing I usually do.”

Despite her quick rise, Watt isn’t overconfident. “I need to keep getting better,” she said.

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazetteskysox. Google+: Brian Gomez.