Watts Nosed Out in Bid for 3rd State 200 Crown

The reign of one sprint king was officially terminated and a new one began Saturday on the final day of the CIF state track championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Quincy Watts of Taft High was attempting to become only the third athlete to win three consecutive state 200 titles, but he was turned back by Bryan Bridgewater of Washington for the second week in a row, 21.00 to 21.02.

In the girls’ meet, 1986 state 100 champion Angela Burnham of Rio Mesa turned two potentially close clashes into runaway victories and Crissy Mills of Campbell Hall upset defending state champion Lynn Patrick of San Diego’s Serra High in the high jump.

Led by Burnham’s victories in the 100 and 200, the surprising Spartans earned a share of the team title, tying upstart Bakersfield.

Both teams finished with 28 points. Hawthorne scored 34 points to win its fifth boys’ title in the past six years. Washington was second with 24 points.

“I figured we might have a chance at third before the meet,� Rio Mesa Coach Brian FitzGerald said. “I figured there was was no way we could beat Hawthorne or Locke.�

But when those two teams stumbled, Rio Mesa seized the opportunity, getting 20 points from Burnham’s victories and an additional eight from fourth-place finishes in the 400 relay and long jump.

Mary Bittner, Shannon Wiebelhaus, Laurie Beasley and Burnham combined to run 47.65 in the 400 relay and Bittner jumped a personal best of 18 feet, 5 1/2 inches in the long jump.

Burnham turned in her usual stellar anchor leg in the 400 relay, bringing the Spartans from seventh to fourth, but it was her demolition of two superb sprint fields that surprised even herself.

“The 100 seemed like one of my easier races,� Burnham said. “I was very surprised that no one was close to me.�

Burnham exploded out of the blocks first in the 100 and was never challenged. Her personal best of 11.52 left Inger Miller of Muir (11.72) and Simone Cain of Hueneme (11.86) well in arrears.

In the 200, however, Burnham got off to a slow start, coming off the turn 2 meters behind Cain and one behind Miller before turning on the afterburners to win in another personal best of 23.45. Cain (23.59) and Miller (23.73) followed.

“I just told myself, ‘Don’t get too far behind,’ � Burnham joked about her slow start. “Actually, I was shocked I was that close.�

A lot of people were surprised when Watts came off the turn with a small lead over Bridgewater, but no one expected him to relinquish it in the final straight, a portion of the race that Watts usually owns.

“I felt pretty good coming off the turn,� said Watts, who was beaten by Bridgewater in last week’s City Section 200 final, 20.89 to 21.14. “I just wanted to maintain it and see where I was. But he’s running very well right now . . . . He ran a great race.�

The loss marked the end of Watts’ high school career, one that included three state titles--the 200 in 1986 and the 100 and 200 last year. He also placed second three times, in the 1986 100 and 400 relay and in this year’s 200.

In the girls’ high jump, Mills and Patrick both cleared 5-10, however Mills won because she cleared that height on her first attempt while it took Patrick three efforts.

Mills cleared 5-2, 5-4, 5-6 and 5-8 on her first attempts, then passed when the bar was raised to 5-9, equal to her previous best.

“I was just really confident today,� Mills said of her decision. “I felt good and everything just went perfectly.

“I still can’t believe it. This is incredible. When I was jumping at 6 feet, I kept asking myself, ‘What am I doing here.’ �

Nicole Smith of Montclair Prep was another sophomore from a small school who performed brilliantly.

Nicole, the daughter of former Dodger Reggie Smith, placed second in the long jump with a personal best of 19 feet. She also had leaps of 18-8 1/2, 18-7 1/2 and 18-7.

Ron Martin of Chatsworth did not produce a series that rivaled Smith’s for consistency, but he duplicated her second-place finish with leap of a 23-9.

Damiean Jenkins of Saugus capped a consistent season with a personal-best 178-11 for third in the discus. It was the sixth meet this season in which the 6-foot, 4-inch, 230-pound thrower has eclipsed the 170-foot mark.

Defending state champion Jenny Whelchel of Agoura placed fourth in the girls’ shotput at 43-2 and Chatsworth sophomore Lori Mertes tied for sixth in the high jump at 5-6.

Morgan Bateman of Crescenta Valley placed a disappointing eighth in the 800. The 4-A Division champion was in contention for the first 600 meters but faded in the final 200. His time of 1:55.09 was well off his 1:52.66 personal best.