USTFCCCA News & Notes
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA May 26, 2020   

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.

Memorable Moments
Ostrander Made Steeplechase History

Allie Ostrander of Boise State became the first woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships to win three consecutive steeplechase titles.

Lalang Avenged Loss, Made History

Lawi Lalang beat Edward Cheserek in a thrilling duel to set a meet record in the 5000 Meters at the 2014 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships & doubled back to finish runner-up in the 1500 Meters the next day.

Wolcott Hurdled Into NCAA History

Fred Wolcott of Rice won five NCAA hurdling titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, including three consecutive crowns in the 220-yard version.