2024-25 Men's Track & Field Roster
Biography
CAREER COLLEGIATE RESULTS
One of the top up-and-coming middle distance runners in the country ... His first full year of collegiate competition in 2024-25 included a first team All-America finish in the 800 meters indoors, indoor school records in both the 800 meters and the 1000 meters, an outdoor PR in the 800 meters and BIG EAST medals in that event both indoors and outdoors ... Made his NCAA Championships debut indoors in 2025 and was a first team All-American in the 800 meters with a fifth place finish in the final ... Became the third Villanova runner ever to post a top-five finish in the 800 meters at the NCAA indoor meet ... Indoor school record holder in the 800 meters with a time of 1:46.32 set on January 31, 2025 at Penn State ... Recorded his outdoor PR of 1:46.63 in the final at the 2025 outdoor BIG EAST Championships where he was the bronze medalist and earned All-BIG EAST honors ... Three-time All-BIG EAST honoree in the 800 meters at the 2024 outdoor, 2025 indoor and 2025 outdoor conference championship meets ... During the 2025 indoor season he registered four of the top seven indoor times in school history and broke the record of 1:46.90 held by his one-time Villanova teammate Sean Dolan ... Recorded the third-fastest indoor 1000 meter time in NCAA history and set a Villanova indoor record with a time of 2:17.77 in Boston on February 14 ... The previous school indoor record of 2:20.3 held by Don Paige had stood for over 46 years since January 1979 ... At the 2025 NCAA East Preliminary meet outdoors he was the only runner out of 48 athletes in the first round of the 800 meters to post reverse splits and he led all competitors with a 53.72 split on the bell lap ... Watcke made his collegiate debut during the 2024 outdoor season and was the BIG EAST runner-up to Sean Dolan in the 800 meters ... He went on to advance to the quarterfinal round of the 800 meters at the NCAA East Preliminary meet where he narrowly missed a qualifying spot for the NCAA Championships as a true freshman ... Ranks fifth overall in school history in the 800 meters ... Penn Relays champion in his collegiate debut season as he ran the 800 meter leg of Villanova's distance medley relay which won a Championship of America title ... Recorded a split of 1:48.34 on the relay, then produced a split of 1:48.05 while running the 4x800 meter relay a day later ... The 4x800 relay squad posted the sixth-fastest time in Villanova history with a mark of 7:17.28 ... Competed at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru in 2024 and reached the final of the 800 meters ... Came to Villanova with experience competing at an elite level ... Won a gold medal in the 800 meters at the Pan American U20 Championships in 2023 and is a two-time bronze medalist at the USATF U20 Championships ... Ran at the New Balance Nationals indoors during his scholastic career ... Named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for track & field in 2023-24 and is a two-time member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll at Villanova.
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| SCHOOL RECORD |
| 800 Meters (Indoor Record) |
1:46.32 |
January 31, 2025 |
University Park, Pa. (Penn State National Open) |
| 1000 Meters (Indoor Record) |
2:17.77 |
February 14, 2025 |
Boston, Mass. (David Hemery Valentine Invitational) |
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| PERSONAL BESTS |
| 800 Meters (open) |
1:46.32 |
Penn State National Open (1.31.2025) |
| 800 Meters (relay) |
1:48.05 |
Penn Relays (4.27.2024) |
| 1000 Meters |
2:17.77 |
David Hemery Valentine Invitational (2.14.2025) |
| 1500 Meters |
3:49.57 |
Raleigh Relays (3.27.2025) |
| Mile |
4:18.45 |
Drake Relays (4.28.2023) |
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| CAREER HONORS AND AWARDS |
| 2025 OUTDOOR |
| All-BIG EAST |
800 Meters |
| 2025 INDOOR |
| All-American (First Team) |
800 Meters |
| All-BIG EAST |
800 Meters |
| BIG EAST Men's Track Athlete of the Week |
February 3 |
| 2024 OUTDOOR |
| All-BIG EAST |
800 Meters |
| Penn Relays Champion |
Distance Medley Relay (800 Meters - 1:48.34) |
| ACADEMIC HONORS |
| USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (Track) |
2023-24 |
| Athletic Director's Honor Roll |
Spring 2024, Fall 2024 |
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| CAREER NCAA RESULTS |
| 2025 INDOOR (VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. | VIRGINIA BEACH SPORTS CENTER) |
| Date |
Event |
Time |
Place |
| March 14 |
800 Meters (Preliminary Heats) |
1:47.28 |
5th |
| March 15 |
800 Meters (Final) |
1:47.22 |
5th |
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| CAREER BIG EAST RESULTS |
| 2025 OUTDOOR (STORRS, CONN. | GEORGE J. SHERMAN FAMILY SPORTS COMPLEX) |
| Date |
Event |
Time |
Place |
| May 16 |
800 Meters (Preliminary Heats) |
1:52.37 |
6th |
| May 17 |
800 Meters (Final) |
1:46.63 |
3rd |
| 2025 INDOOR (CHICAGO, ILL. | DR. CONRAD WORRILL TRACK AND FIELD CENTER AT GATELY PARK) |
| Date |
Event |
Time |
Place |
| February 28 |
800 Meters (Preliminary Heats) |
1:50.79 |
3rd |
| March 1 |
800 Meters (Final) |
1:46.46 |
2nd |
| 2024 OUTDOOR (VILLANOVA, PA. | VILLANOVA STADIUM) |
| Date |
Event |
Time |
Place |
| May 10 |
800 Meters (Preliminary Heats) |
1:48.98 |
2nd |
| May 11 |
800 Meters (Final) |
1:47.00 |
2nd |
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| NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE |
Competed on an international level in the 800 meters at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru and the Pan American U20 Championships in 2023 ... Reached the final at the World U20 meet in 2024 after previously being the gold medalist with a winning time of 1:48.86 at the Pan American U20 meet in 2023 ... At that met he out-kicked fellow American and silver medalist Simeon Birnbaum by just under half a second ... Two-time bronze medalist in the 800 meters at the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore. ... His then personal best time of 1:47.99 during his scholastic career was set in the medal race at the 2023 meet.
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Hinsdale South High School: Competed at the indoor New Balance Nationals as a senior in both the 800 meters and the 4x800 meter relay.
Personal: Has a sister, Emma, who has competed collegiately as a member of the track & field teams at Wisconsin and Loyola University Chicago ... Exploratory Arts major.
Historical Player Information
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2024-25Sophomore
Distance
