Event Dominance Propelled South Carolina’s Run
The brisk winds of change swept through South Carolina’s ranks in 1999.
A new era befell USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Famer Curtis Frye’s program.
Gone were the days where throwers led the Gamecocks to their previous apex (More on them in another #NCAATF x #TheCentury article). Instead, sprinters roosted in Columbia and pushed South Carolina to heights to which it had never seen.
Coincidentally, 1999 also marked the triumphant arrival of twin sisters Me’Lisa (Lisa) and Mikele (Miki) Barber – who celebrate their 40th birthdays today – as well as Demetria Washington.
After a freshman year where the trio got their feet wet to varying success at the 1999 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships (Miki Barber and Washington finished 2-7 in the 400; Lisa Barber, Miki Barber and Washington helped South Carolina finish fifth in the 4×100 relay), they hit their stride as sophomores.
Business picked up at the 2000 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the trio combined for 35 of the Gamecocks’ 41 points. Miki Barber starred with a victory in the 200 (Lisa Barber and Washington were third and sixth, respectively), a runner-up finish in the 400 (Washington was seventh) and a sizzling anchor leg on the runner-up 4×400 relay team (Lisa Barber led off; Washington toted the baton second).
The trio rode that wave of success outdoors as Miki Barber crested the 400-meter podium with Washington standing right beside her as runner-up (It was – and, still is – only the second time in meet history that one program went 1-2 in that event). Lisa Barber played a major role on South Carolina’s relay teams that year as the 4×400 squad won the national title (Lisa Barber led off; Washington second; Miki Barber anchored) and the 4×100 team placed third (The Barber twins had the exact same roles; Washington wasn’t on the squad).
Fast forward to the 2001 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and that’s where you’ll find all three women on the podium after both the 200 and 400. Washington took fifth in the former and posted consecutive runner-up finishes in the latter. Miki Barber ended up sixth and fourth, while Lisa Barber took sixth and eighth, respectively. They also comprised three-fourths of the third-place 4×100 relay team from that year.
Then, in 2002, everything came together for South Carolina at Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Gamecocks had multiple scorers in the 200 (Lisa Barber was fifth), 400 (Lisa Barber was second; Washington was fourth) and the 400 hurdles (Lashinda Demus set a world U20 record in the process). South Carolina also swept the relays with Lisa Barber and Washington toting the baton on the 4×100 and then Washington lending a hand to the 4×400 squad that broke the collegiate record and meet record at 3:26.46.
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.
ON THIS DAY: Kerley Set 400-Meter CR In Austin
Fred Kerley set a collegiate record in the 400 on this day in 2017. Kerley went 43.70 at the NCAA DI West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas.
Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
Brittney Reese won the long jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Reese missed the meet record by just 1cm (½ inch).
Foster Won All-Time Classic 110H In 1978
Greg Foster won an epic 110H race at the 1978 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Foster beat Renaldo Nehemiah & set an AR, CR & MR in the process with his 13.22.
D’Agostino Won By Slim Margin In 2012
Abbey D’Agostino won back-to-back 5K titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2012 & 2013. When D’Agostino won in 2012, it was by just 0.03 seconds.
Tupuritis Shocked The Field In 1996
Einars Tupuritis won the 800 at the 1996 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 0.14 seconds! Turpiritis crossed the finish line in 1:45.08.
Arkansas’ Brown Notched All-Time 100H Mark
Janeek Brown won the 100H at the 2019 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 12.40, narrowly missing the collegiate record and meet record.
Brown Paced Tennessee To 1974 Team Title
Doug Brown won back-to-back steeplechase titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1973 & 1974. His victory in 1973 was by 17.2 seconds!
EMU’s Jones Hurdled Into NCAA History
Hayes Jones completed the 120H-220H sweep at the 1959 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Jones won the last 220H title ever awarded at the meet.
Ellis Sent USC To A Thrilling Victory
Kendall Ellis had a remarkable come-from-behind victory in the 4×400 relay at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships that sent Southern California to the meet title.
Paige Turned Three NCAA Mid-Distance Titles
Don Paige won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a 800-1500 sweep in 1979.