Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

The USTFCCCA and collegiate track & field will join together to mark a momentous milestone in the spring of 2021 — the 100th anniversary of the staging of championships in the NCAA and with that, the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. 

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. It was June 1921 when the University of Chicago hosted the first track & field championships in NCAA history.

In celebration of this upcoming landmark, over each of the next 365 days, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) will present moments and feature 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. 

Each day, a new moment, tidbit, or spotlight will be added to an ongoing blog at USTFCCCA.org and featured on the Association’s social media. It will start tomorrow, May 27, with a synopsis of the first-edition, 1921 championships.

“We celebrate where we’ve been and where we are going,” said USTFCCCA CEO Sam Seemes. “Our aim in delivering this compelling content over the next year’s time is to not only highlight the incredible moments that have occured, but also to demonstrate the importance of collegiate track & field to the sport, collegiate athletics, and society as a whole. The championships have evolved, weathered ups-and-downs, but has always served as a model of future progress, inclusion, and a template for showcasing student-athlete excellence and experience through athletics.”

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.

Bakewell’s Winding Road To 800 Meter Glory

June 6, 1986

Karen Bakewell set a meet record of 2:00.85 in the Women’s 800 Meters at the 1986 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Hurdling History For Forrest “Spec” Towns

Forrest “Spec” Towns won back-to-back hurdling titles at the 1936 and 1937 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships as part of a legendary streak.

What A Finish In The 1500 Meters!

June 7, 2019

Yared Nuguse of Notre Dame beat Justine Kiprotich of Michigan State by 0.003 seconds for the 1500-meter title at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

UCLA’s Griffith Sprinted Into History

Florence Griffith won two career individual titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which included a meet record in the 400 Meters.

Ewell Made Quite The (Penn) State-ment

Barney Ewell of Penn State completed the 100-200 double twice at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1940 and 1941.

Unique Discus History For Oerter In 1958

Al Oerter won back-to-back discus titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which included the only tie in meet history back in 1958.

Indiana State’s Hyche Swept Sprints In 1993

No athlete – male or female – has won more individual career sprint titles at the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships than Holli Hyche of Indiana State!

Dendy’s Double-Double Put Him Among Greats

Marquis Dendy of Florida pulled off the double-double in the long jump & triple jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2014 and 2015.

SMU’s Ezeh Hammered Out Greatness

Florence Ezeh is the only woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win three hammer throw titles in a career.

Gehrmann Starred In The Mile/1500

Don Gehrmann of Wisconsin won three consecutive 1500/mile titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships between 1948 and 1950!