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 Burleson Races To Meet’s First Sub-4 Mile
ON THIS DAY: Dyrol Burleson of Oregon recorded the first sub-4 minute mile in meet history at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Burleson finished in 3:59.8 and used a 55.2 closing lap to seal the deal.
Nebraska’s Greene Equals 100-Yard World Record
ON THIS DAY IN 1967: Charlie Greene of Nebraska equaled the world record in the 100 yards with his time of 9.1 at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Twice As Nice For Texas’ Richards In 2003
ON THIS DAY: Sanya Richards of Texas became the first freshman (man or woman) to win the 400 & double back to anchor the winning 4×400 relay team.
Hubbard Makes World History At NCAAs
ON THIS DAY: DeHart Hubbard of Michigan achieved the first ratified world record ever set at the NCAA Championships in 1925.
Barringer Caps Legendary Collegiate Career
Exactly 11 years ago, Jenny Barringer of Colorado became the first woman to win the steeplechase three times in a career at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Villanova’s Reid Completes Historic 1500-5K Double
Sheila Reid of Villanova completed the first 1500-5K double at the same NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships on June 11, 2011!
Brazier Makes History Two Laps At A Time
Donavan Brazier of Texas A&M set the collegiate record of 1:43.55 in the Men’s 800 Meters at the 2016 NCAA Track & Field Championships.
Wottle Leads Eight Men Under Four Minutes
On this day in 1973, Dave Wottle of Bowling Green led eight runners under the 4-minute barrier for the mile – just the second time such depth had occurred anywhere in the world.
Fight On! Southern California’s Historic Day
Three collegiate records in 80 minutes is what Southern California’s men’s team did ON THIS DAY back in 2018.
Holloway’s Texas Two-Step Into The Record Book
On this day in 2019, Grant Holloway of Florida broke Renaldo Nehemiah’s 40-year-old collegiate record in the Men’s 110 Hurdles.