Riley Completed Unprecedented Double In 2012

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Riley Completed Unprecedented Double In 2012

“When I started out this year, it was something I wanted to achieve. I always set high goals for myself. This year I really wanted to be the first to do the double.” ~ Andrew Riley after the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships

Only three men have scored in both the 100 meters and 110-meter hurdles in the near 100-year history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships: Willie Gault of Tennessee was first in 1982; Terrence Trammell of South Carolina accomplished it twice in 1999 and 2000; Andrew Riley of Illinois raised the bar to unprecedented heights in 2012.

Exactly 30 years after Gault finished runner-up in both the 100 and 110H at the 1982 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Provo, Utah, Riley put his stamp on the proceedings at Drake Stadium with the first 100-110H double in meet history.

Riley ran the gauntlet in Des Moines, Iowa: He would contest the prelim of the 100 on Wednesday, followed by the prelim of the 110H on Thursday with the final of the 100 and 110H on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Needless to say, Riley was going to be busy.

The Illinois star didn’t have any trouble advancing out of the prelims. He earned a big “Q” in each event, notching a 10.02 (+1.4) in the 100 and a 13.30 (+1.8) in the 110H. 

Riley won his first national title of the meet on Friday in one of the closest finishes in meet history, regardless of event. He, eventual runner-up Harry Adams of Auburn and eventual third-place finisher Maurice Mitchell of Florida State were all within 0.005 seconds of each other. The 100 went to Riley in 10.272, while Adams and Mitchell finished in 10.274 and 10.277. 

Not much was left to chance on Saturday when Riley stormed to the 110H crown. Running into a 3.5 m/s headwind, Riley crossed the finish line in 13.53, 0.07 seconds ahead of Wayne Davis II of Texas A&M. It was the second time in his career that Riley won the 110H at the meet (The first was in 2010). 

“When I started out this year, it was something I wanted to achieve,” Riley said of the double. “I always set high goals for myself. This year I really wanted to be the first to do the double.”

posted: January 17, 2021
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
Plab Reached Lofty Heights In NCAA HJ

Darrin Plab won back-to-back HJ titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1991 & 1992. Plab cleared 2.34m (7-8) in 1992 & tied the 2nd best bar in meet history.

Peoples Made History One Lap At A Time

Maurice Peoples won the 440-yard dash in 1973 & then really turned up the heat. Peoples split 43.4 on the Sun Devils’ mile relay team that finished third in the final.

KU’s Lokedi Set 10K MR In 2018

Sharon Lokedi won the 10K at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in a meet-record 32:09.20. Lokedi led five other women under the old final-site best, too.

Can Ereng Kick It? Yes, He Can!

Paul Ereng won back-to-back 800-meter titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1988 & 1989. Ereng is still the current indoor record holder in the event.

Dwight Stones Set High Jump WR In 1976

Dwight Stones set a world record in the high jump of 2.31m (7-7) at the 1976 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Stones also raised the MR by more than 3 inches!