Top Moment of the Meets (3) - Watkins Holds off Gillett at the Finish, Barely
We are not really yet to the point of track season where we expect a lot of very fast 400 times. And, the tighter turns of an indoor track do not to help the 400 times start dropping.
But, don't whisper any of that to Simone Watkins or Mary Gillett. The pair made quite a nice show of it at the finish line to the top heat of Sunday's 400.
Watkins took an impressive lead off of the first turn and seemed on line to make a solo effort of it. Gillett took the more patient approach.
Coming off the third and final turn, Watkins still held the lead, but Gillett was closing fast. In the final seconds of the race, Gillett pulled up on Watkins' should but could not complete the execution of the pass. Watkins found enough in reserve to lay day a bit of a final surge and kept Gillett in second.
The clock showed both under a minute, 58.91 and 59.16, both excellent times in an indoor facility and this early in the season.