Deniz Won Epic Discus Final In 1983
Only once have the three longest women’s discus throwers in collegiate history met at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
It happened in 1983 when the meet was held at Robertson Stadium in Houston.
Entering with the most accolades was Meg Ritchie of Arizona – the defending champion came in with the year’s best mark at 65.32m (214-4), short of her collegiate record of 67.48m (221-5) from a year earlier.
Undefeated on the year – including a conference win over Ritchie – was Leslie Deniz of Arizona State, and her incredible spring included four American records, topped by a heave of 64.94m (213-1).
Stanford’s Carol Cady also gained notice. She moved to No. 3 all-time just a week before the NCAA meet at 63.30m (207-8), and by the day of NCAA discus final she was fresh off a shot put crown, having defeated CR holder Ritchie and breaking her meet record as well.
Deniz set the tone in the qualifying round, adding more than 7 feet to Ritchie’s meet record at 63.80m (209-4).
In the first round of the final, Deniz opened up at 63.96m (209-10) to improve her MR. Cady added then the second-longest throw in meet history – and her career – at 62.42m (204-9). Ritchie, nursing a recent injury, followed at 56.00m (183-9).
That order didn’t change, and Deniz continued her dominance, finishing with two more throws of 62.90m (206-4) and 63.52m (208-5) that gave her the meet’s four longest in history.
“I was looking for at least 215,” said Deniz, still recovering from a back injury in training. “The last throw was close to 220, which is the goal I set for myself.”
Deniz and Cady both made the 1984 Olympic team. Deniz earned silver in the discus, while Cady was a finalist in the shot put. In 1986, Cady broke Deniz’s discus AR at 66.10m (216-10), which lasted for 20 years.
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.
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FSU’s Williams Soared To Jumps Double In 2009
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Clemson’s Ross Kept Getting Faster In 1995
Duane Ross PR’d twice in the 110H at the 1995 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. When Ross won in 13.32, he became the No. 3 performer in collegiate history.
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George Kerr won back-to-back 800/880 titles at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1959 & 1960. Kerr set a meet record of 1:46.4 in the 800 meters in 1960.
UCLA’s Baucham Bounded To TJ CR In 2005
Candice Baucham won the triple jump at the 2005 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a collegiate record of 14.07m (46-2). Baucham took the event by more than one foot.
San Romani Went From Unknown To Legend
Archie San Romani won back-to-back 1500/mile crowns at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in 1935 & 1936.
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Harvey Glance completed the 100-200 double as a freshman at the 1976 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. He set a meet record of 10.16 in the 100.
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Jen Rhines was the first female athlete in the history of the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships to win three consecutive 5K titles.
Georgia’s Erm Cruised To 2019 Decathlon Title
Johannes Erm won the decathlon at the 2019 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 342 points with his 8352 total. That was also the fifth-best score in meet history.