NCAA champ Sage Watson eyes Canadian hurdles record

With her arms held up high and her competition nowhere in sight, Sage Watson crossed the finish line a winner at the 2017 NCAA outdoor track and field championships.

The Medicine Hat, Alt., native says it was a dream come true to end her U.S. collegiate career in winning fashion.

But Watson's shining moment may have never occurred if it wasn't for one decision.

"Two years ago, I transferred universities from Florida State to the University of Arizona," says Watson. "My coach [Fred Harvey] here at the University of Arizona is one of the best hurdle coaches in the world and my training partner [Georganne Moline] is one of the best 400 [metre] hurdlers.

"Having the combination of those two really helped me improve my time and allowed me to understand what I need to do to be at that high level of competition."

Harvey has been Arizona's director of men's and women's cross country and track and field for the past 16 years.

Under his guidance, Moline qualified for the 2012 U.S Olympic team and set a personal-best time in London en route to finishing fifth in the women's 400-metre hurdles final.

In Watson's two years as an Arizona Wildcat, her results speak for themselves. She has never finished outside the top four in any of the 400m or 400m hurdles races that she's competed in.

The Canadian holds school indoor records in the 500m and the 4x400m relay and was named to last year's All-Pac 12 team and an NCAA first-team All-American in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay.

Gunning for Canadian record

The 23-year-old now has her eyes set on taking down Rosey Edeh's Canadian record in the 400 hurdles event set at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

"Two days before [the NCAA championships], I got to talk to Rosey on the phone and I told her, 'I'm going to come for your record,' and she says, 'It's about time that somebody went for it.' It was almost like permission to go after her record," says Watson.

Watson's winning time of 54.52 seconds at the collegiate championships is a new personal best and just 0.13 seconds off the standard set by Edeh.

Having already competed at the 2015 world championships in Beijing and at last summer's Olympic Games in Rio, Watson was well prepared heading into the race.

"I'm able to control my nerves a lot better, especially going into the [NCAA] national championships," says Watson.

"I had been under that kind of pressure before. I raced against top-level athletes before. There's nothing new there. I took my experience in Rio and Beijing to that race because I had that extra confidence and understanding of knowing that I needed to execute my race in order to come away with the win."

Heartbreak in Rio

Watson's inaugural Olympics included an 11th-place finish in the 400m hurdles and anchoring Canada to a fourth-place showing in the 4x400m relay final.

The Medicine Hat, Alta., native remembers that heartbreaking feeling crossing the finish line knowing that she and her teammates just missed the podium.

Watson recalls looking up at the scoreboard hoping for a disqualification, similar to the way the Canadian men's 4x100 relay team were bumped onto the podium after the Americans' miscue.

The final results stood but it soon dawned on Watson that this could be the start of something special.

"Just coming up short was so motivational for our team and it showed us that we have [the] potential to be the best 4x400 [team] in the world and that will motivate us going into the world championships this summer in London and definitely the next Olympic Games," says Watson.

Next stop

Before the world championships are the Canadian national championships, starting July 3 in Ottawa.

Watson has already achieved the IAAF world standard of 56.10 seconds in the 400 hurdles and will need to earn a top-three finish in order to earn a spot at the world championships in London in August.

The 23-year-old awaits her shot at becoming the first Canadian female to win an Olympic medal in the 400 hurdles.

It's the reason why Watson says she trains everyday.

Until then, the journey leading up to that day continues to fuel her because, to Watson, there's never a dull moment.

"The race is always teaching me something — learning how I need to improve on my performance. I don't think I've ever ran a perfect 400m hurdle race and I'm not sure that I ever will because there's so many variables — top-end speed, coordination, and rhythm," says Watson.

"You need mental toughness, especially coming down the last 100-metre stretch. For some reason, it seems like the hurdles get taller the closer you get to the finish line. I have to believe in myself a lot in the last 100 metres that I can get over these barriers."