Gilkes Completed Unique Triple Crown In 1974
James Gilkes of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, wasn’t the favorite when the 220-yard finalists lined up at the 1974 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
That role fell to Tennessee’s Reggie Jones – a freshman, who was coming back from winning the 100 – and Larry Black of North Carolina Central – silver medalist from the Munich Olympics in 1972, as well as 1971 NCAA champ.
Indeed, as the runners came off the curve into the homestretch, Jones and Black were clearly ahead of everyone else – until Gilkes turned on his afterburners and passed Jones in the last 10 yards with jaw-dropping speed.
The race was wind-aided (+3.4 m/s), but Gilkes was timed in 19.9, just as fast as the hand-timed world record. Jones finished in 20.0, while Black faded to fifth (20.2) as all six finishers ran the fastest times of their lives.
“I was a bit tight because of a groin injury, and I knew I wouldn’t be too good around the turn,” Gilkes said. “But I felt I could finish strong because I normally come from behind, and I was correct.”
Gilkes’ win made some big history, giving the native of Guyana a Triple Crown of collegiate national titles in the 220 after winning the NAIA and NCAA Division III meets in the two weeks prior. The only others with three titles in the same year are Black (1971 in the 220) and Southern’s Rodney Milburn (1971 and 1973 in the 120-yard hurdles).
Gilkes’ Triple Crown was slightly different, however, as Black and Milburn competed when the NCAA had just two divisions – university and college – before the current three-division setup began with the 1974 meet.
Even rarer is Gilkes’ status as a Division III athlete to also win a Division I crown. The only other with such a combination is Rowan javelin thrower Mike Juskus, who did so in 1981. Gilkes and Juskus will likely remain alone in that regard as the NCAA Division I meet no longer allows athletes from other divisions to compete.
The NCAA and collegiate track & field will mark a momentous milestone in the spring of 2021 -- the 100th anniversary of the NCAA Championships and with that, the NCAA Track & Field Championships. In June 1921, the University of Chicago hosted the first track & field championships in NCAA history.
This point can’t be emphasized enough: Not only was the event the first for NCAA track & field, but the first championships for any sport under the sponsorship of the NCAA.
To celebrate, over each of the next 365 days, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) will celebrate moments, student-athletes, and coaches that have made a century’s worth of championships special. From humble beginnings to important historical milestones to the modern-day, collegiate track & field has evolved with the American society.
The 2021 edition of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin with preliminary round action on May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Fla., and College Station, Texas. The championships final site and culmination of the celebration is slated for June 9-12, 2021 at the newly rebuilt Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Texas’ Hooker High Jumped To NCAA Glory
Destinee Hooker won three career high jump titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a massive victory in 2009 by more than two inches.
De Grasse Sprinted To Otherworldly Double
Andre De Grasse completed the 100-200 double at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with scorching times: 9.75 (+2.7) in the 100; 19.58 (+2.4) in the 200.
Merritt Broke Long-Standing 110H MR In 2006
Aries Merritt broke a 28-year-old meet record in the 110H when he won the crown at the 2006 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 13.21.
UGA’s Torrence Made NCAA History With Double
Gwen Torrence completed the 100-200 double at the 1987 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Torrence was also the first woman to finish top-8 four times in the 100.
Bayer Gave It His All For NCAA 1500 Title
Andrew Bayer won the 1500 at the 2012 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in one of the closest finishes in meet history – 0.01 seconds.
Tipton Led 1-2-3 Oregon Finish In 1964 JT
Les Tipton led the first podium sweep of any event in the history of the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Tipton and his Oregon teammates went 1-2-3 in the 1964 javelin.
K-State’s Jones Captured Heptathlon Crown In 2015
Akela Jones won the heptathlon at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with 6371 points. That is the fourth-best score in both collegiate history & meet history.
Same Athletes, Same Result For LSU At NCAAs
The LSU foursome of Bennie Brazell, Pete Coley, Robert Parham, Kelly Willie swept the 4×100 & 4×400 crowns at the 2003 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Martin Won Distance Titles For Two Programs
Francis (Frank) Martin made history twice in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
FSU’s Williams Soared To Jumps Double In 2009
Kim Williams swept the horizontal jumps at the 2009 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Williams was particularly dominant in the TJ, winning at 14.38m (47-2¼) & by nearly 2 feet.