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).
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.
Oregon’s Washington Made NCAA History In 2016
Ariana Washington of Oregon became the first freshman woman to sweep the 100 and 200 at the same NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2016.
Juskus Capped Whirlwind Week With Title
Mike Juskus of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) won the NCAA DI & NCAA DIII javelin titles in 1981.
Stanford Had Opponents Seeing (Cardinal) Red
Stanford’s distance runners led them to great success in the late 1990s, which resulted in a national title in 2000!
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.
UCLA’s Boldon Bounced Back With 100 MR
Ato Boldon of UCLA set a meet record in the Men’s 100 Meters at the 1996 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Let’s Discus(s) Some NCAA Throwing History
Cliff Felkins & Eric “Duke” Kicinski both won discus titles at the NCAA DI & NCAA DII level and were members of Texas Tech’s national championship team in 2019.
“Year Of The Vault” Ends In Epic Duel
Sandi Morris and Demi Payne raised the bar in the Women’s Pole Vault during an epic 2015 season that was dubbed “The Year of the Vault.”
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.
Tarr Family Collects Father-Daughter NCAA Crowns
Jerry Tarr & Sheila Tarr were the first father-daughter pair of each win an individual NCAA title at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.