Back-To-Back 200-Meter Crowns For Annelus
Anglerne “Angie” Annelus was a surprise winner in the 200 meters at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Annelus entered the meet ranked 13th nationally in the event with a 22.64 PR that she ran just a few weeks earlier in the prelims of the Pac-12 Championships. She ended up finishing third in that final behind Makenzie Dunmore of Oregon and teammate Deanna Hill (To wit: Hill would join Annelus in the NCAA final; Dumore only contested the 400 that year).
Running into a 2.3 m/s headwind during the 2018 NCAA final at Hayward Field, Annelus beat NCAA Indoor champ and collegiate indoor record holder Gabby Thomas of Harvard to the finish line by 0.10 seconds: 22.76 to 22.86. Annelus was the first sophomore to win the crown since Kimberlyn Duncan of LSU seven years earlier (That would be the first of three consecutive titles for Duncan).
READ MORE: LSU’s Duncan Roared To 200-Meter History
Fast forward one year later and Annelus once again walked into the NCAA Outdoor Championships as the underdog, despite being the defending champion. Annelus was ranked in a tie for seventh on the Descending Order List at 22.71 and had a sour taste to rinse out of her mouth after not making it out of the prelims at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Annelus didn’t let any of that faze her as she ripped across the track in the final at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. She wasn’t alone, though: LSU freshman star Sha’Carri Richardson was right with her every step of the way.
It came down to a photo finish as Annelus out-leaned Richardson at the tape for a 0.01-second victory: 22.16 to 22.17. For Annelus, she became the fifth-fastest woman in collegiate history and just the fourth woman in meet history to repeat as 200-meter champion. Richardson settled for the sixth fastest mark in collegiate history and eventually won The Bowerman, large in part to setting the collegiate record in the 100 meters earlier.
Annelus, who is back this year as a redshirt senior, could make it three in a row – something that only one other woman has done in meet history (The aforementioned Duncan).
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.
ON THIS DAY: Kerley Set 400-Meter CR In Austin
Fred Kerley set a collegiate record in the 400 on this day in 2017. Kerley went 43.70 at the NCAA DI West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas.
Reese Left Her Mark On NCAA LJ
Brittney Reese won the long jump at the 2008 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Reese missed the meet record by just 1cm (½ inch).
Foster Won All-Time Classic 110H In 1978
Greg Foster won an epic 110H race at the 1978 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Foster beat Renaldo Nehemiah & set an AR, CR & MR in the process with his 13.22.
D’Agostino Won By Slim Margin In 2012
Abbey D’Agostino won back-to-back 5K titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 2012 & 2013. When D’Agostino won in 2012, it was by just 0.03 seconds.
Tupuritis Shocked The Field In 1996
Einars Tupuritis won the 800 at the 1996 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships by 0.14 seconds! Turpiritis crossed the finish line in 1:45.08.
Arkansas’ Brown Notched All-Time 100H Mark
Janeek Brown won the 100H at the 2019 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 12.40, narrowly missing the collegiate record and meet record.
Brown Paced Tennessee To 1974 Team Title
Doug Brown won back-to-back steeplechase titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 1973 & 1974. His victory in 1973 was by 17.2 seconds!
EMU’s Jones Hurdled Into NCAA History
Hayes Jones completed the 120H-220H sweep at the 1959 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Jones won the last 220H title ever awarded at the meet.
Ellis Sent USC To A Thrilling Victory
Kendall Ellis had a remarkable come-from-behind victory in the 4×400 relay at the 2018 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships that sent Southern California to the meet title.
Paige Turned Three NCAA Mid-Distance Titles
Don Paige won three career titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a 800-1500 sweep in 1979.