CITRUS PARK — Landon Watkins has the hardware to prove he is one of the fastest distance runners around. Now the Sickles junior wants some for running off the track.
Watkins brought home two medals from the Class 4A state track and field meet in May, finishing seventh in the 1,600 meters in 4:14 and eighth in the 3,200 in 9:15.
“Going to states was something that Jon and I definitely saw happening,” Watkins said, “but the medals, especially in the mile, were a little surprising. I’m a little mad I let a few people pass me, but just stuck to the top of the pack and just thought about defending my position.
“It’s something we’ll work on next year and not let it get away from me at the end.”
Ask around, and most will say Watkins is the real deal.
“Hands down,” longtime Sickles distance running coach Jon Noland said. “He is, and I’ve had the privilege of coaching him for the entire time. He’s just one of those kinds of kids that you really want to coach. He is just committed to the process. He’s super disciplined. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to work to get it.
“He’s certainly not just a one-trick pony. Between what he does here for us, for the cross-country and the track programs, he’s also a leader in the ROTC program. He’s nothing less than an A student, so he’s just that kind of person that doesn’t really accept anything less than the best for himself.”
Cross-country is the next box to check, and Watkins knows the climb is steep. He ran a personal-best 16:03 at last year’s regional meet and still finished 19th. That is life in Class 4A, Region 3, which routinely stacks the starting line with runners from Sunlake, Steinbrenner, Land O’ Lakes, Wiregrass Ranch and Plant.
Watkins crossed about 40 seconds behind regional winner Oscar Brown, who ran 15:22 and went on to finish in about 16 minutes at the state meet in November. The runners at the front of the regional field all broke 16 minutes.
“This year’s upcoming state, I do want to either qualify as a team or individually,” Watkins said. “I do want to be within the top 25 cross-country runners for 4A. That’s a big goal I have. I know I’m not as good at cross-country as I am in track, so this is something I need to work on, and it’s going to better me as a track runner as well. And it’s just something that I need to go ahead and look forward to and really, really hit hard (on training).”
Fittingly, his love of distance running started at a turkey trot years ago in Tallahassee — home of Apalachee Regional Park, where the state cross-country meet is run.
“After that, you couldn’t get me off the track or course,” he said.
Noland has not tried.
“He’s a machine. He goes above and beyond,” Noland said. “He’s fully committed to the process, running five miles in the morning, five in the evening at our practices. And he loves it, too.
“(Cross-country is) a sport that doesn’t give you a lot — and I hate to say it, (it’s) not a sexy sport. It’s not the kind of sport where we’re going to catch that game-winning touchdown and everybody goes yay. So it’s long days and long practices, and he’s loving doing it.”
Watkins wants to keep running in college, and while he is already in ROTC, he is exploring Division I options, including the Air Force Academy. For now, the work is going in on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, including the inclines on the pedestrian bridge over Citrus Park Drive.
All of which should help him prove he is the real deal in cross-country, too.
“Plenty of long workouts, plenty of long days,” he said, “but it should be worth it. … I’m definitely interested in running at the next level. It’s a goal a lot of people have. And I definitely want to be able to use my talent for the maximum of its ability.
“And I just pretty much love running.”