With his high school football career over and powerlifting meets only occurring every few weeks, Caleb Watts was looking for another sport to play in the spring. His options came down to baseball or track and field.

The Warren Central senior went with track and field, and it turned out to be a great decision.

Watts, who had never participated in track before this season, is on the verge of becoming the Class 6A champion in the boys’ shot put. He’ll compete in the event at the state meet Friday at Pearl High School after winning the North State title last week with a throw nearly two feet better than his nearest competitor.

If Watts can duplicate the feat, it would cap a meteoric and unexpected rise for a guy who is still learning the intricacies of the sport.

“I think I’m looking pretty good right now. I don’t know what to expect going to state, it being my first time, but I think I’m going to do pretty decent,” Watts said. “I’m just approaching it as trying my best, having fun.”

Watts is a newcomer to track and field, but not athletic success. He was an all-state defensive lineman for Warren Central’s football team and won the Class 6A North State championship in the 220-pound weight class in 2015 and 2016.

It was that strength that WC track coach Larry Tyrone said made him happy Watts chose his sport.

“He made a big impact on powerlifting and when he told me he was going to throw, I got real excited because he’s an extremely strong guy,” Tyrone said.

Watts is powerful, but raw when it comes to technique. He said he’s tried to learn and refine his throwing technique by taking tips from coaches, teammates and even opponents throughout the season. After starting in the low 40-foot range at early-season meets, he won the North State title with a heave of 47 feet, 11 ½ inches.

Tyrone said Watts’ work ethic and willingness to learn have made him a success.

“He goes down there and works,” Tyrone said. “Like the saying goes, sometimes the quietest person in the room speaks the loudest. You never hear him, but you always see the results of what he does because he’s always working. He’s worked at it, and he’s gotten really good at it. Going from 45 feet to 48, there’s no telling what he could have done.”

Watts will be part of a small Warren Central contingent at Friday’s state meet. Only six athletes qualified for individual events — Watts, Willie Smith (high jump) and Miraculous Powers (110 meter hurdles) on the boys’ side; and K.K. McCarley (800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs), Kiara Lockhart (high jump) and Raven Thompson (high jump and triple jump) for the girls.

With so few athletes competing, a team championship is out of the question. The focus instead is on individual glory. Watts appears to have the best chance to win based on last week’s North and South State meets, while the rest of the Vikings are hoping to at least medal

Thompson, a sophomore, finished fourth in the high jump and seventh in the triple jump last year and said she was hoping to build on that.

“I plan on having a better outcome than I did last year. I placed fourth last year by a scratch, but hopefully I improve this year,” Thompson said.

STATE TRACK SCHEDULE

Friday

9 a.m. – MAIS Overall (field events only), at Jackson Academy

11 a.m. – MHSAA Class 2A, 4A and 6A, at Pearl High School

Saturday

9 a.m. – MAIS Overall (running events), at Jackson Prep

11 a.m. – MHSAA Class 1A, 3A and 5A, at Pearl High School

Warren Central athletes

Warren Central athletes competing in the MHSAA Class 6A meet on Friday:

• Raven Thompson (girls high jump and triple jump)

• Kiara Lockhart (girls high jump)

• K.K. McCarley (girls 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs)

• Miraculous Powers (boys 110 meter hurdles)

• Willie Smith (boys high jump)

•Caleb Watts (boys shot put)