Micah Watts attends Propel Andrew Street, a charter school in Munhall that does not have a track and field team.

But don’t think for a second that a little detour will stop him from propelling to WPIAL and PIAA medals next month.

Watts, a senior, is a West Mifflin resident who is running and jumping with the Titans this spring … and doing quite a job of it.

Watts won the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association Invitational last Saturday on his “home track” at West Mifflin. Watts set personal records in both events, running the 100 in 10.97 and 200 in 22.69.

“It’s usually really windy and my times aren't that good [at West Mifflin],” Watts said, “but [Saturday] there wasn't that much wind and my times improved a lot, so I PR'd two times."

Watts is in his first year of running high school track. He attended Gateway his freshman and sophomore years, but played only football and basketball. Watts was able to run for West Mifflin when he transferred to Propel last year, but said he missed the cut-off for sign-ups. He has competed for the East Allegheny Track Club during the summer since he was 7 years old.

Speed is one of Watts’ biggest athletic attributes, but it’s not the only one. He competes in the decathlon for his club team, and finished eighth in the competition at the USATF Junior Olympics in Jacksonville, Fla., last summer. Watts is an outstanding long jumper; he won the gold medal at the PTFCA Indoor State Championships.

“His strongest events are the sprints — the 100, 200 — and long jump. He’s equally good in all of them,” West Mifflin coach Mike Mazzarese said.

West Allegheny

Skyler Mason sure can sky the javelin. Last year’s WPIAL Class AAA champion hopes to retain his crown this season while pairing it with a PIAA title after placing second last year. Mason is among family at West Allegheny. His father, Rick, is the javelin coach, and brother, Spencer, is a sophomore who throws the javelin.

“We don’t put any pressure on Skyler,” West Allegheny coach Jim Hamilton said. “I’m sure his goals are just to throw farther than last year. If they’re better, we’ll take that. If five great javelin throwers move into the state and are better, so be it.”

Mason is one of four WPIAL athletes who will compete in the prestigious Penn Relays April 27-28 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Joining Mason will be defending shot put champion Jordan Geist of Knoch, Seneca Valley’s Mike Kolor (mile) and Laurel Highlands’ Cassandra Phelan (pole vault).

North Allegheny

Andrew Manz was the man at the Wildcat Invitational April 15 at Latrobe, breaking meet and stadium records in the javelin.

A senior, Manz snatched the gold medal with a heave of 207-4. Coming into the week, the mark was the third longest in the country this season.

Manz’s record throw broke records set by Kiski Area’s Josh Vick in 2008. Vick threw 194-5. Manz wasn’t the only thrower to top Vick’s mark. Runner-up Hayden Fox of Hempfield threw 196-3. Manz was the WPIAL Class AAA runner-up last season and Fox placed third.

Norwin

Just a freshman, Jessie Kolesar has wasted little time establishing herself as one of the WPIAL’s elite long jumpers.

Kolesar won the long jump title at the Lady Spartan Invitational April 15 at Latrobe. Kolesar’s jump of 18-3 broke a school record and was the third longest in the state entering this week.

“She’s a great athlete,” Norwin coach Brian Fleckenstein said. “It’s a big jump coming up from middle school. She’s definitely very talented. And now she has perspective on what she can do, not only in the WPIAL, but in the state, as well.”

First Published: April 22, 2016, 4:00 a.m.