Samantha "Sammy" Watson (born November 10, 1999) is an American

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, ranging from 500 metres up to . The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distanc ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Career

Watson placed fourth in 800 m in 2:04.11 at 2020 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships. Watson placed sixth in 800 at 2019

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a Summer Oly ...

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

in a time of 2:01.70. Watson placed 11th in 800 meters at

2018 IAAF World U20 Championships – Women's 800 metres The women's 800 metres at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships was held at Ratina Stadium on 10, 11 and 12 July. Records Results Heats Qualification: First 4 of each heat (Q) and the 4 fastest times (q) qualified for the semifinals. Sem ...

Tampere, Finland Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...

in a time of 2:03.95. Watson placed first in 800 meters at 2018 USA U20 Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships in

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

in a time of 2:01.46. Sammy Watson finished sixth on Sunday, June 25, 2017 in the 800 meters at the United States National Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California. A time of 2:43.18 at 1,000 meters, set at altitude during the prelims 2017 USATF Indoor Championships held in

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, bettered the national high school record of 2:43.43 set in 2005 by Sarah Brown. In the final she lowered the record to 2:40.72 in placing fourth among a field of professional athletes. Sammy Watson's 800 meters mark broke the 1974 national record of 2:01.8 set by

Mary Decker Mary Teresa Slaney (formerly Tabb, Married and maiden names, née Decker, born August 4, 1958) is an American retired middle-distance and long-distance runner. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 metres, 1500 meters and 3000 metr ...

and it is also the U.S. Junior record
Video: Sammy Watson After Running 2:01.78 800 to Break Mary Decker's HS Record
International accolades for Sammy Watson include winning gold-medal as a 2016 World junior title in the

800 meters The 800 metres, or 800 meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event sin ...

while and running on the gold-medal 4x400 relay. Watson made her second

Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

Clovis, California Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. It was established in 1890 as a freight stop for the San Joaquin Valley Railroad by a group of Fresno businessmen and Michigan railroad speculator Marcus Pollasky. The railroad bou ...

at USA Junior (U20) Outdoor Track and Field Championships winning the 800 meters title in a time of 2:02.91. In 2015, she was the World youth champion in the 800 meters. Watson was 15 when she claimed the World Youth 800m title in 2:03.54 after winning 2015 USA Junior Olympics 15-16 year old 800 meters title in a time of 2:08.73 and 15-16 year old 400 meters title in a time of 54.31 in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

NCAA

Watson placed first in 800 meters in a time of 2:04.21 at the

2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were the 97th NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 37th NCAA Women's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships held for the sixth consecutive yea ...

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...

. Watson placed first in 800 meters in a time of 2:03.37 at the 2018

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

Outdoor Track and Field Championships in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

. Watson placed third in 800 in a time of 2:02.65 at the

2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships was the 54th NCAA Men's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships and the 37th NCAA Women's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadi ...

College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States, situated in East-Central Texas in the Brazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as the Texas Triangle. It is northwest of Houston and east-northeast of Austin, ...

after winning her first title in the 800 m at 2018 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Watson ran on the 4th place

Distance medley relay The distance medley relay (DMR) is an athletic event in which four athletes compete as part of a relay. With its inclusion in the IAAF World Relays program, the IAAF announced on May 1, 2015 that the event would be an official world record event ...

at Southeastern Conference final. Watson ran a time of 2:42.12 in the 1,000m which ranks seventh on the collegiate indoor all-time list and bettered the

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

school record of 2:43.15 set last season by Jasmine Fray. Texas A&M's Sammy Watson anchored the Aggie distance medley relay to a school and meet record of 11:12.06 to win the event at the Ted Nelson Invitational.

Prep

In the 800m, Watson's 2:00.65 ranks third all-time in

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

high school and she also produced five of the top 10 all-time performances. Watson's career best times by Watson from her high school career include 52.69 (400 meters), 1:27.13 (600 meters indoors), 2:00.65 (800 meters), 4:22.09 (1,500 meters) and 4:47.49 (mile indoors). In 2017 indoor season, Watson established national high school records at 600 meters (1:27.13), 800 meters (2:01.78) and 1,000 meters (2:40.72 A). In the 2017 outdoor track season, Watson placed 5th in a time of 55.90 in 400 meters and 2nd in one mile invitational section in 4:47.72 at

Arcadia Invitational The Arcadia Invitational is a high school track and field meet in the United States. It is considered the most competitive meet in the country and has been billed as the "Home of United States high school national records in track and field, Natio ...

in April 2017, ran 2:01.47 placed 3rd behind 1:59.87 winner Charlene Lipsey and runner up Chrishuna Williams in 800 meters at

Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic is a track and field meet held at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Organized by the Oregon Track Club, it was previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, and ...

in May 2017, placed 2nd in a time of 2:00.78 behind 1:59.57 winner Charlene Lipsey in 800 meters on June 2 at Adidas Boost Boston Games, and won 800 meters title in a time of 2:05.70 at 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Aggie Stadium in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

on June 18, 2017 (1 week before USA Outdoor in Sacramento, California).

References

External links

*
Sammy Watson – Texas A&M University
profile at 12thman.com * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Samantha 1999 births Living people Sportspeople from Rochester, New York American female middle-distance runners Texas A&M Aggies women's track and field athletes African-American track and field athletes Track and field athletes from New York (state) 21st-century African-American sportswomen NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners 21st-century American sportswomen