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Girls' track and field player of the year: Ally Watt, Pine Creek
Ally Watt thinks she might get a little taller before she’s finished with high school. She’s the fastest female sprinter in 5A, and if that happens, she can count on more hardware.
The Pine Creek freshman probably would benefit from a few more inches on her 5-foot-5 frame, despite a dominating effort last month at the state track and field championships in Lakewood, where she became her school’s first winner in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
SEE THE ALL-AREA FIRST-TEAM GIRLS' TRACK HONOREES
Soccer has been the main focus for Watt the past seven years, and she’ll travel to Phoenix this month for a tournament with her club team, the Pride Predators. Watt still has hopes of playing soccer in college, however, track now ranks as a realistic possibility, given her season in which she lost only once and recorded a top-50 time nationally in the 200.
At state, Watt established personal bests in winning the 100 in 11.79 seconds and the 200 in 24.11 seconds – both victories coming over her rival, Zainab Sanni of Smoky Hill. She also handled the anchor leg on the 400 relay team that placed second behind Loveland. “I surprised myself – and a lot of other people,” Watt said, adding Pine Creek sprints coach Charmas Lee “kept supporting me, keeping me positive throughout the entire season.”
Watt is contemplating whether to bring the 400 into her repertoire next season. “I’m just going to keep my options open,” Watt said. A bit more height would make the decision a no-brainer for her. For the summer, “I’m just going to work with what I’ve got,” she said.
The prevailing thought is the taller Watt grows, the faster she’ll be able to run. “That’s what I’m hoping for – to get better and better,” she said. With lots of room to grow, Watt said, “I’m hoping I get taller, but I don’t know if I’m done. … A lot of people are tall and fast. But then people who are short are fast, too. Who knows what’s going to happen?”
Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Facebook: Brian Gomez. Twitter: @gazetteskysox. Google+: Brian Gomez.
