Logan star Watts captures triple jump-discus double
DUBLIN >> Five weeks ago, James Logan's Jacob Watts had never competed in the triple jump.
On Friday, he won the North Coast Section Meet of Champions title in the event with a huge personal record of 46 feet, 4 inches (windaided), which he produced on his first attempt at Dublin High School.
But Saturday, in the first Meet of Champions since 2019 because of the pandemic, he achieved history.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior won the boys discus by nearly two feet with a throw of 153-8. It is believed that Watts is the first boys individual in NCS Meet of Champion history to win a jumping event and a throwing event.
“That's nice. I'm thankful. I'm kind of new to this,” said Watts, who competed in discus, shot put and high jump prior to this season.
Obviously, the triple jump title was the bigger surprise.
“This is my fourth week doing it,” Watts said. “I thought it looked cool, so I tried it.”
Watts said that the NCS MOC was only the third meet that he has competed in the triple jump. His previous best before Friday was at the NCS Bay Shore Championships, where he posted a mark of 43-5 ¾.
“I just went out there and did my best and got a W,” Watts said about the triple jump.
Like the triple jump, Watts took the lead in the discus on his first attempt and didn't trail after that.
Dublin's Jathiyah Muhammad soared to a meet record of 14-feet in the girls pole vault on Friday. The sophomore not only eclipsed the previous record of 13-4 set by Carondelet's Kelly Kern in 2019, but Muhammed's mark also puts her in the discussion of the state favorite in the event.
Entering this weekend, no girls pole vaulter in the state had a mark better than 13-10, according to DyeStat.com. The website also listed only four girls pole vaulters in the nation with a mark better than 14-0 entering this weekend.
“It was phenomenal,” said Dublin coach Chris Williams about Muhammad's performance. “Her PR coming in was 13-7. Most of the time in the pole vault, if you PR at the elite level, you're doing like an inch or two inches at a time. To go five inches above that at the Meet of Champions just shows you how remarkable of a kid she really is.”
Muhammad wasn't the only person in her family to win an NCS pole vaulting title this weekend. Muhammad's freshman brother Khaliq cleared a personal best of 15-7 to take the boys title.
Dublin won its first NCS Meet of Champions boys track and field team title with 121 points. Pittsburg was second with 39 points.
Campolindo won its first NCS Meet of Champions girls track and field team title in school history with 57 points. Dublin was second with 46 points.