While Jelani Watkins was in his starting blocks at the NCAA East regional for the 100-meter race in Jacksonville, Florida, the LSU sprinter had one thought dominating his mind.

"It's either me or them," the 20-year-old said. "So either you eat or you get ate, and I wasn't trying to be the one that got ate."

The starter pistol's gunshot was Watkins' signal to feast.

The 5-foot-9, 163-pound athlete ran a personal best of 10.01 for the third-fastest time in the regional quarterfinals on May 31, advancing to the NCAA Championships.

Watkins' mentality remained unchanged an hour later in the 200, setting another personal best of 20.24 for the 10th-fastest mark in the quarterfinals, adding another event to his trip to Eugene, Oregon.

He will be among the 21 entries, nine men and 12 women,

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