#4. US #4 Times Thrown Down By Sammy Watson & Symone Mason
Two of the fastest winning times recorded on the day came in the finals of the girls 400 and 800, which were held in close proximity to one another. One reason why Sammy Watson opted to scratch the 400 to focus only on the 800.
It might have been a smart move by Watson given the rest on one hand and because of Symone Mason on the other hand. In the 400 meter finals, Indiana state champ Lynna Irby got out to a fast start on the outside lane, but the Miami Southridge sophomore Mason was to able to make up that stagger around 200 meters as they hit halfway split in 24 to 25 seconds together.
By the time, Mason rolled off the final turn, she only had the finish line ahead of her. The New Balance Nationals Outdoor 400 meter runner-up came through the finish line in a new personal best clocking of 52.80. The time ranks Mason US #4 in the event and would have made for a great matchup with Watson, who is ranked US #3 from her 52.67 victory at the New York State Meet.
However, Watson had bigger plans at this meet for her other speciality event in the 800 meter run. After two weekends ago winning her second New Balance Nationals 800 meter time in a more strategic race following a 65-66 second first 400 meters en route to a 2:07 victory.
No slow first lap this time around. Watson took charge early on in Wednesday's 800 meter finals at the World Youth Trials taking the field through a 61 second first 400. She then began to drop the rest of the field on the backstretch to eventually win by three seconds in a new open 800 PR of 2:04.27 to move up to #4 in the national rankings like Mason did in the 400. She had anchored her Rush Henrietta Sperry sprint medley relay squad to a national record with a low 2:03 800 meter split two weeks ago to indicate a big time drop in the open 800 was coming soon.
Number four in the nation is nice, but both Mason and Watson would like to go down to Colombia in two weeks and become number one in the World. Running their fastest at this point of the summer is a good sign for them to accomplish just that.