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.

Ritchie Doubles Down In The Throws

Meg Ritchie of Arizona became the first woman in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to win any two events in 1982.

Three-For-Three: Woodruff Made It Look Easy

John Woodruff of Pittsburgh won three consecutive 800/880 titles at the NCAA Track & Field Championships from 1937 to 1939.

The Tie Goes To The Runner(s)

June 20, 1964

Bill Straub of Army and Jim Murphy of Air Force TIED for the 5000-meter title at the 1964 NCAA Track & Field Championships!

Ottey’s Audacious Quadruple In 1983

June 4, 1983

Merlene Ottey of Nebraska sought to win NCAA titles in the 100, 200, 400 and 4×100 relay in 1983.

He’s Great: LSU’s Davis Soars To History

May 31, 2002

Walter Davis, who turns 41 today, scored 22¼ points at the 2002 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championship to lead LSU to the national team title.

Scott Neilson Is NCAA T&F’s Mr. Canada

Scott Neilson of Washington won four consecutive hammer throw titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships between 1976 and 1979.

A Crowning Moment For Rogers In 2017

June 10, 2017

Back in 2017, Raevyn Rogers of Oregon dazzled at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a victory in the 800 and a sizzling anchor on the winning 4×400 relay.

Robinson Brothers Make NCAA T&F History

Can you name the first set of siblings to win NCAA Track & Field titles? We’ll give you a hint: Their last name is Robinson.

UTEP’s Nyambui Goes 7-For-7 Outdoors

Suleiman Nyambui of UTEP never lost a race at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He went a perfect 7-for-7 over four years.

Oxy’s Gutowski Vaults To Record Heights

June 15, 1957

Bob Gutowski of Occidental won the pole vault at the 1957 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a clearance of 4.82m (15-9¾), a mark that surpassed the world record but was never ratified.