Fresno State’s Robinson Equaled WR In 1957
The 220-yard low hurdles figured to be special at the 1957 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
It did not disappoint.
Two of the world’s best were ready for their sixth hurdle race of the meet, with this 220H doubling as the finale of the first NCAA meet held at Texas’ Memorial Stadium in Austin.
Ancel Robinson of Fresno State entered with the fastest time at 22.3 – tied for second fastest in world history on a straightaway – while Elias Gilbert of Winston-Salem owned the world’s fastest-ever on a race using the curve, having run 22.8 the weekend prior in winning the NAIA Championships.
Both looked for a measure of redemption after the 120-yard hurdles an hour earlier. Robinson was second – albeit in a PR 14.0 – behind the 13.6 of Lee Calhoun, the reigning Olympic champion and teammate of Gilbert, who hit the last two hurdles and finished last. Gilbert had beaten Calhoun and equaled the WR of 13.4 the previous month.
Robinson had his usual rocket start and led by some four yards after the sixth of ten hurdles. It also proved to be right in Robinson’s wheelhouse as the race was held on the straightaway. Gilbert finished strongly, but couldn’t catch Robinson, whose time of 22.2 equaled the world record set by Dave Sime of Duke one year earlier.
Robinson’s time also bettered the meet record of 22.3 set 10 years earlier by Harrison Dillard when it was a then-WR. Gilbert’s time of 22.5 was his fastest-ever on a straightaway set of hurdles.
Robinson – a Korean War veteran – was surprised at the time. “I didn’t know I was going that fast,” he said. “I took off like a jackrabbit and went as hard as I could.”
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.
Texas’ Hooker High Jumped To NCAA Glory
Destinee Hooker won three career high jump titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a massive victory in 2009 by more than two inches.
De Grasse Sprinted To Otherworldly Double
Andre De Grasse completed the 100-200 double at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with scorching times: 9.75 (+2.7) in the 100; 19.58 (+2.4) in the 200.
Merritt Broke Long-Standing 110H MR In 2006
Aries Merritt broke a 28-year-old meet record in the 110H when he won the crown at the 2006 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 13.21.
UGA’s Torrence Made NCAA History With Double
Gwen Torrence completed the 100-200 double at the 1987 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Torrence was also the first woman to finish top-8 four times in the 100.
Bayer Gave It His All For NCAA 1500 Title
Andrew Bayer won the 1500 at the 2012 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in one of the closest finishes in meet history – 0.01 seconds.
Tipton Led 1-2-3 Oregon Finish In 1964 JT
Les Tipton led the first podium sweep of any event in the history of the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Tipton and his Oregon teammates went 1-2-3 in the 1964 javelin.
K-State’s Jones Captured Heptathlon Crown In 2015
Akela Jones won the heptathlon at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with 6371 points. That is the fourth-best score in both collegiate history & meet history.
Same Athletes, Same Result For LSU At NCAAs
The LSU foursome of Bennie Brazell, Pete Coley, Robert Parham, Kelly Willie swept the 4×100 & 4×400 crowns at the 2003 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Martin Won Distance Titles For Two Programs
Francis (Frank) Martin made history twice in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
FSU’s Williams Soared To Jumps Double In 2009
Kim Williams swept the horizontal jumps at the 2009 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Williams was particularly dominant in the TJ, winning at 14.38m (47-2¼) & by nearly 2 feet.