COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS: 1K – 2:27.66, 1500m – 3:45.27, Mile – 4:03.53, 3K – 8:04.85, 5K – 14:08.37, 6K (XC) – 17:48.5, 8K (XC) – 24:37.1, 10K (XC) – 30:19.7
CAREER RECORDS, AWARDS, AND NOTES
AWARDS
1x Big Ten Athlete of the Week (’23 XC)
1x USTFCCCA Academic All-District (’24)
2x Academic All-Big Ten (F ’23, Sp. ‘24)
2024 Outdoor
Season: Set 1500m and 5K PRs…Advanced to the Big Ten Championship final in the 1500m.
Raleigh Relays (3/28-30): Posted a 14:11.97 in the 5K in his outdoor debut. Virginia Challenge (4/19-20): Crossed the line in the 1500m in 3:45.27, setting a PR in his eighth-place finish. Penn Relays (4/25-27): Achieved a 14:08.37 5K PR at the Penn Relays. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/10-12): Advanced to the 1500m final with a 3:49.73 in the prelims…Finished 10th in the conference with a 3:49.64 in the final.
2024 Indoor
Season: Made his track debut for the Nittany Lions…Finished 11th in the Big Ten in the 3K.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/13): Won the mile in his Penn State debut with a 4:04.83…Added a 2:27.66 PR in the 1K. Simmons-Harvey Invitational (1/20): Finished third in the 3K with an 8:04.85 mark. Penn State National Open (1/26-27): In a competitive mile field, Watson set his PR with a 4:03.53 in a 16th-place finish. David Hemery Valentine Invitational (2/9-10): Posted a 14:16.60 5K mark, his top time of the 2024 indoor season. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/23-24): Finished 11th in the Big Ten in the 3K in his conference championship debut, running an 8:05.19.
2023 Cross Country
Season: Ran in six meets for the Nittany Lions, finishing in the top three on the Penn State men’s team in all but one meet…Capped off his first cross country season with a 26th-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.
Dolan Duals (9/1): Made his cross country debut, winning the Dolan Duals with a 17:48.5 in the 6K race…Won the Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week for his efforts. Lehigh Paul Short Run (9/30): Posted a 24:37.1, setting his 8K PR, to finish 36th overall and third on the Nittany Lions, helping his team to a fifth-place finish. Big Ten Championships (10/27): In his first conference meet, Watson clocked a 25:43.7 to place 35th in the Big Ten. Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships (11/10): Finished 26th in the region in his first NCAA meet, stopping the clock in 30:19.7…Finished third on the team in the 10K race, helping the Nittany Lions secure fourth in the region.
2023 Outdoor
Season: Made his collegiate debut in the 5K.
Bison Outdoor Classic (4/14-16): Ran a 14:26.01 in the 5K to finish 13th overall in his first collegiate competition.
2023 Indoor
Season: Did not compete.
2022 Cross Country
Season: Did not compete.
PRIOR TO PENN STATE
HIGH SCHOOL PRs: 800m - 1:57*, 1000m - 2:30*, 1600m - 4:16*, 3200m - 9:06*, 5k - 15:30*
*indicates school record
Four-year letterwinner in cross country and track and field at Justice High School...Named track team captain three times 2019-22 and cross country captain twice 2020-22...Chosen cross country and track team MVP twice each 2020-22...Named to Virginia All-State team three times in cross country 2020-22...Received Virginia All-State honors for indoor 1600m and 3200m three times 2020-22 and twice in outdoor in the same events 2020-21...Chosen indoor district track athlete of the year three times 2020-22...Placed runner up in the state 1600m race in 2022...Accumulated five top-seven finishes in the state across indoor and outdoor 1600m and 3200m and cross country events in high school career.
PERSONAL
Parents are Stacey and Agnus Watson...Has one brother: Dylan...Studying business administration at Penn State...Born in Virginia.