Georgia Tech’s Taylor Triumphed In 1998

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

Georgia Tech’s Taylor Triumphed In 1998

Angelo Taylor of Georgia Tech used his afterburners twice at the 1998 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Both times Taylor provided moments to savor.

The first final was his specialty, the 400-meter hurdles. With two barriers remaining, Taylor was in third place, and that’s when he pushed the pedal down to the floor. Taking the lead after the last hurdle, he didn’t let up and crossed the finish in 48.14 to win by 1.24 seconds – only the then-collegiate record of 47.85 was ever faster by a collegian.

“I told myself I had to go at 300, no matter what,” Taylor told Jon Hendershott of Track & Field News. “I just gave it everything to the end, so I didn’t have anyone to push me off the last hurdle.”

A day later Taylor burned up the track again – this time without hurdles.

Taking the baton with a slight lead in the 4×400-meter relay, Taylor let TCU’s Khadevis Robinson – the NCAA 800-meter champ – stay close until the final straightaway, then blistered the track to give the Yellow Jackets an easy victory in 3:01.89.

Taylor was clocked in 43.6, a split then only run faster twice in meet history – Arizona State’s Maurice Peoples was timed in 43.3 (for the longer 440 yards) in 1973 and Baylor’s Michael Johnson ran 43.5 in 1990.

posted: December 29, 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
The Tie Goes To The Buckeye

Dave Albritton of Ohio State won three consecutive high jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships & remains one of just two men to do so.

No One Vaulted Like Nilsen At NCAAs

Chris Nilsen of South Dakota set meet records for height and win margin in the pole vault at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.