COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS: 1K – 2:27.66, 1500m – 3:39.38, Mile – 4:01.47, 3K – 7:59.13, 5K – 14:08.37, 3K steeplechase – 8:46.52, 6K (XC) – 17:39.60, 8K (XC) – 23:56.50, 10K (XC) – 39:19.70, 5.2 Mile (XC) – 25:49.20
CAREER RECORDS, AWARDS AND NOTES:
AWARDS:
6x Academic All-Big Ten (Fall '23, Spring '24, Fall '24, Spring '25, Fall '25, Spring '26)
3x CSC Academic All-District ('24, '25, '26)
2x USTFCCCA All-Academic Team ('24, '25)
1x Big Ten Athlete of the Week (2023 XC)
RECORDS:
No. 5 all-time in outdoor 3K steeplechase (8:46.52)
No. 6 all-time indoor 3K (7:59.13)
No. 6 all-time in outdoor 1500m (3:39.38)
No. 9 all-time in indoor mile (4:01.47)
Outdoor 2026
Season: Competed in six meets … Finished fourth in the 3K steeplechase at the Big Ten Championships and advanced to the NCAA First Round for the second consecutive outdoor season.
Pepsi Florida Relays (4/3-4): Opened the outdoor campaign with a 3:43.33 in the 1500m...Bison Outdoor Classic (4/11-13): Placed third in the 1500m with a time of 3:40.35 and competed in the 5K...Penn Relays (4/23-25): Recorded the fifth-fastest 3K steeplechase time in program history with an 8:46.52, finishing fifth overall...also competed in the 4xMile, running 16:52.08...Larry Ellis Invitational (5/1-2): Finished third in the 1500m with a personal-best 3:39.38, the sixth-fastest time in program history...Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/15-17): Earned fourth place in the 3K steeplechase with an 8:54.19...NCAA First Round (5/27-30): Closed the outdoor season in the 3K steeplechase, recording a time of 9:13.48...
Indoor 2026
Season: Competed in four meets for the Nittany Lions … Earned a fifth-place finish in the distance medley relay at the Big Ten Championships and posted the ninth-fastest mile time in program history.
Penn Elite (1/24): Opened the season with a 4:05.04 in the mile...Penn State National Open (1/30-31): Lowered personal best to 4:01.47, finishing second overall and recording the sixth-fastest time in program history... also competed in the 3K…Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational (2/13-14): Clocked a 7:59.67 in the 3K…Big Ten Championships (2/26-28): Helped the distance medley relay team finish fifth with a time of 9:41.01....ran 8:15.42 in the 3K....
Cross Country 2025
Season: Competed in five meets…made his third consecutive appearance at the NCAA Regional Championships and set two personal bests, including a meet-winning performance in the 6K at the Dolan Duals.
Dolan Duals (9/5): Began the season with a victory in the 6K, setting a personal best with a time of 17:39.60...Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational (9/12): Set a personal best in the 5.2 Mile with a time of 25:49.20...Princeton Fall Classic (10/17): Recorded a 24:15.00 in the 8K...Big Ten Championships (10/31): Clocked a 24:18.80 in the 8K...NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships (11/14): Closed the season in the 10K, running 30:42.70 and placed 35th.
Outdoor 2025
Season: Competed in six meets and advanced to the NCAA First Round in the 3K steeplechase for the first time.
Bison Outdoor Classic (4/12-14): Placed third in the 3K steeplechase with an 8:59.82 and did not finish the 1500m … Virginia Challenge (4/18-19): Recorded a 3:44.51 in the 1500m … Penn Relays (4/24-26): Ran 8:56.58 in the 3K steeplechase and 16:32.32 in the 4xMile … Larry Ellis Invitational (5/2-3): Finished fourth in the 3K steeplechase with an 8:53.81 … Big Ten Championships (5/16-18): Recorded an 8:51.43 in the 3K steeplechase, placing 11th, and did not finish the 5K … NCAA First Round (5/28-31): Finished the season with a 9:01.23 in the 3K steeplechase.
Indoor 2025
Season: Competed in three meets for the Nittany Lions…set the No. 9 program record in the 3K and earned three top-five finishes.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/18): Finished second in the mile with a time of 4:05.85 and recorded a 2:29.56 in the 1K…Penn State National Open (1/31-2/1): Earned two top-five finishes, placing third in the 3K with an 8:06.31 and fourth in the mile with a 4:01.76...competed in the distance medley relay...Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational (2/14-15): Moved to ninth in program history in the indoor 3K with a time of 7:59.13...
Cross Country 2024
Season: Competed in six meets for the Nittany Lions and reached the NCAA Regional Championships for the second consecutive season.
Dolan Duels (9/6): Opened the season with a fifth-place finish in the 6K, running 18:07.60...Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational (9/13): Recorded a 26:07.90 in the 5.2 Mile..Lehigh Paul Short Run (10/5): Clocked a 24:58.10 in the 8K...Princeton Fall Classic (10/18): Ran 23:59.40 in the 8K…Big Ten Championships (11/1): Set a personal best in the 8K with a time of 23:56.50...NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships (11/15): Finished the cross country season with a 30:45.00 in the 10K, placing 35th...
Outdoor 2024
Season: Set 1500m and 5K PRs…Advanced to the Big Ten Championship final in the 1500m.
Raleigh Relays (3/28-30): Posted a 14:11.97 in the 5K in his outdoor debut. Virginia Challenge (4/19-20): Crossed the line in the 1500m in 3:45.27, setting a PR in his eighth-place finish. Penn Relays (4/25-27): Achieved a 14:08.37 5K PR at the Penn Relays. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/10-12): Advanced to the 1500m final with a 3:49.73 in the prelims…Finished 10th in the conference with a 3:49.64 in the final.
Indoor 2024
Season: Made his track debut for the Nittany Lions…Finished 11th in the Big Ten in the 3K.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/13): Won the mile in his Penn State debut with a 4:04.83…Added a 2:27.66 PR in the 1K. Simmons-Harvey Invitational (1/20): Finished third in the 3K with an 8:04.85 mark. Penn State National Open (1/26-27): In a competitive mile field, Watson set his PR with a 4:03.53 in a 16th-place finish. David Hemery Valentine Invitational (2/9-10): Posted a 14:16.60 5K mark, his top time of the 2024 indoor season. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/23-24): Finished 11th in the Big Ten in the 3K in his conference championship debut, running an 8:05.19.
Cross Country 2023
Season: Ran in six meets for the Nittany Lions, finishing in the top three on the Penn State men’s team in all but one meet…Capped off his first cross country season with a 26th-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.
Dolan Duals (9/1): Made his cross country debut, winning the Dolan Duals with a 17:48.5 in the 6K race…Won the Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week for his efforts. Lehigh Paul Short Run (9/30): Posted a 24:37.1, setting his 8K PR, to finish 36th overall and third on the Nittany Lions, helping his team to a fifth-place finish. Big Ten Championships (10/27): In his first conference meet, Watson clocked a 25:43.7 to place 35th in the Big Ten. Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships (11/10): Finished 26th in the region in his first NCAA meet, stopping the clock in 30:19.7…Finished third on the team in the 10K race, helping the Nittany Lions secure fourth in the region.
Outdoor 2023
Season: Made his collegiate debut in the 5K.
Bison Outdoor Classic (4/14-16): Ran a 14:26.01 in the 5K to finish 13th overall in his first collegiate competition.
2023 Indoor
Season: Did not compete.
2022 Cross Country
Season: Did not compete.
PRIOR TO PENN STATE
HIGH SCHOOL PRs: 800m - 1:57*, 1000m - 2:30*, 1600m - 4:16*, 3200m - 9:06*, 5k - 15:30*
*indicates school record
Four-year letterwinner in cross country and track and field at Justice High School...Named track team captain three times 2019-22 and cross country captain twice 2020-22...Chosen cross country and track team MVP twice each 2020-22...Named to Virginia All-State team three times in cross country 2020-22...Received Virginia All-State honors for indoor 1600m and 3200m three times 2020-22 and twice in outdoor in the same events 2020-21...Chosen indoor district track athlete of the year three times 2020-22...Placed runner up in the state 1600m race in 2022...Accumulated five top-seven finishes in the state across indoor and outdoor 1600m and 3200m and cross country events in high school career.
PERSONAL
Parents are Stacey and Agnus Watson...Has one brother: Dylan...Studying business administration at Penn State...Born in Virginia.