Peters At Head Of Jav U’s Class

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Peters At Head Of Jav U’s Class

If Mississippi State is the rightful “Javelin U,” Anderson Peters is at the head of the class.

Peters, a former standout for the Bulldogs who turns 23-years old today, was a two-time javelin champion at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2018 and 2019 with meet record efforts in both of those years, which includes a massive heave of 86.62m (284-2) in 2019 that currently ranks third on the all-time collegiate chart.

The native of Saint Andrew, Grenada, entered the collegiate system in 2018 with a PR of 84.81m (278-3) that would have won him the NCAA title at every edition of the Championships dating back to 1986 and ranked him third in collegiate history if he had thrown it as a collegian.

Well, Peters wasted no time making an impact as a freshman, going undefeated throughout the regular season, which included a near six-foot victory at the SEC Outdoor Championships against Ioannis Kyriazis of Texas A&M, who was the defending national champion.

Peters arrived at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in June as the prohibitive favorite – and threw like it. He recorded three marks of 80.00m (262-5) or better at Historic Hayward Field, which included a then-meet record of 82.82m (271-9) on his third attempt and an 82.64m (271-1) missile on his sixth that left him with the two farthest marks in the 96-year history of the meet.

Believe it or not, Peters only got better as a sophomore.

Peters started the 2019 season with an incredible series at the Texas Relays. All five of his legal throws went farther than 82.00m (269-0), with four of those eclipsing his seasonal best from the previous year. Peters ended up with a winning mark of 86.07m (282-5) for the third longest throw in collegiate history, less than two feet shy of Kyriazis’ No. 2 mark.

He returned to Mike A. Myers Stadium in June for the NCAA Championships as the prohibitive favorite to win back-to-back crowns. The only remaining questions surrounding the day were about how far he would throw and how many Bulldogs would flank him on the podium.

Peters opened at 84.70m (277-11) and followed that up with howitzers of 86.62m (284-2) and 86.48m (283-9) on his third and fourth attempts to wow the crowd. All told, that gave Peters a new meet record, the largest margin of victory in meet history and three more all-time top-10 marks to bring his career total to six (Patrik Boden is the only other athlete with multiples).

With Peters leading the way, Mississippi State made history. 2016 champion Curtis Thompson finished second and Tyriq Horsford ended up third, giving the Bulldogs the first podium sweep in the event since Oregon did so 57 years earlier in 1962.

Just a few months later, Peters won the gold medal at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Qatar with his winning heave of 86.89m (285-1).

posted: October 21, 2020
1921-2021
The NCAA's First Championships

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.

Memorable Moments
Gerber Graduated To Elite Company
June 1, 1984

Farley Gerber of Weber State turned the steeplechase at the 1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships into an ultimate game of “Catch Me If You Can.” 

Rice Cooked On The Course & Track

Greg Rice, winner of the first NCAA cross country title OTD in 1938, also won two career crowns at the outdoor championships, both in the 2 mile.

Prandini Dazzled At NCAAs In 2015

2015 The Bowerman winner Jenna Prandini scored 26 points at the NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships that year, winning the 100 and finishing runner-up in the 200 and long jump.

Devers Reached Legendary Status In 1988

Gail Devers scored 28½ points at the 1988 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships: 100 (1st, 10.86w), 4×400 (1st, 51.4 split), LJ (2nd, 6.55m | 21-6), 4×100 (2nd), 100H (3rd, 12.90).

Hall Equaled 120H World Record In 1969
June 19, 1969

Erv Hall won the NCAA title in the 120 Yard Hurdles at the 1969 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships, one day after setting the world record of 13.2 in the prelims.

Seagren Vaulted Into The Record Book

Bob Seagren won two career pole vault titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He set meet records with victories in 1967 (5.28m/17-4) and 1969 (5.35m/17-7).

Gophers’ Gordien Golden With The Disc

Fortune Gordien finished runner-up in the discus at the 1943 NCAA Championships, spent two years in the Navy during World War II and then won three consecutive titles between 1946 and 1948.

Price Was Right In The Hammer

DeAnna Price won back-to-back hammer throw titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2015 and 2016.