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.
Guthrie-Gresham Generates Greatness
Diane Guthrie-Gresham of George Mason broke the collegiate record in the heptathlon with 6527 points at the 1995 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Conway Raises The Bar In 1989
Hollis Conway of Southwestern Louisiana set the American record and collegiate record in the high jump at the 1989 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships!
Conley Soars; Razorbacks Complete Triple Crown
Mike Conley scored 28¾ points to lead Arkansas to its first outdoor team title, which completed the vaunted “Triple Crown,” as the program also captured the cross country and indoor titles already in the academic year.
Wisconsin’s Favor Goes Into The Record Book … Again
Suzy Favor of Wisconsin became the first woman in NCAA Division I track & field history to not only win four consecutive 1500-meter crowns, but complete the 800-1500 double at the NCAA meet.
Angela Williams Stands Tall In History
Angela Williams of Southern California was the first athlete (man or woman) to win four consecutive 100-meter titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Carlos’ Triple Leads “Speed City” Spartans
John Carlos of San Jose State became the first athlete to complete the sprint triple at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with victories in the 100, 200 (220) and 4×100 (440-yard) relay.
Jesse Owens Completes The Quadruple-Double
ON THIS DAY: Jesse Owens completed the quadruple-double, winning four NCAA titles in two consecutive years.
“Bullet Bob” Hayes Wins Lone Shot At NCAAs
Bob Hayes of Florida A&M won his first – and only – NCAA title 56 years ago when he won the 200 meters in a wind-aided 20.4.
Southern’s Milburn Clears All Hurdles In His Way
Rodney Milburn of Southern capped a legendary collegiate career 47 years ago when he won the 120-yard high hurdles title at the 1973 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in a meet-record time of 13.1.
Sua’s Sweep Cements Unprecedented Legacy
Seilala Sua of UCLA became the most decorated individual female champion in the history of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships 20 years ago.