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Gatorade 2021 - 2022: Player of the Year

Boys Track & Field - Illinois

athletes playing Boys Track & Field
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BOYS TRACK & FIELD

Ryan Watts

Distance
EDWARDSVILLE HS
EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS
SENIOR
Height: 6-FOOT-5
Press Release

Peak Performance

1st - 4:11.16

Class 3A State Meet - 1600m

1st - 8:55.66

Class 3A State Meet - 3200m
“His junior year, Ryan was placed in a protective boot due to a stress fracture in his foot and he was sidelined while his team finished fourth in the state. Knowing he could have helped them to a state title if he’d been healthy really added fuel to the fire for his senior season. He took care of business this year, and he always seemed to put team accomplishments before his own.”
Chad Lakatos
Head Coach - Edwardsville coach
excellence star

Athletic Excellence

The 6-foot-5, 170-pound senior won the 1600-meter run and the 3200-meter run at the Class 3A state meet this past season, leading the Tigers to second place as a team. Watts broke the tape in the 1600 in 4:11.16 and the 3200 in 8:55.66. He was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

a graduation cap

Academic Achievement

Watts has maintained a 3.88 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to run on scholarship at Iowa State University this fall.

first place ribbon

Exemplary Character

Watts has served as a tutor in his school system and volunteered locally on behalf of youth track camps.