Back-To-Back 200-Meter Crowns For Annelus

Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships

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).

posted: January 10, 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
Sternberg Reached New Heights In 1963
June 15, 1963

Brian Sternberg won the pole vault title at the 1963 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He was the first athlete to clear 16 feet in meet history at 4.97m (16-3¾).

Kimobwa Ran Into Record Book In 1977
June 3, 1977

Samson Kimobwa set a MR in the 10K of 28:10.27 at the 1977 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. He won by 12.21 seconds in a race that saw the top-2 finishers under previous meet record.

Johnson Led 1-2-3 HJ Sweep By Arizona In 1985
June 1, 1985

Katrena Johnson led a 1-2-3 finish by Arizona athletes in the high jump at the 1985 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Johnson cleared 1.94m (6-4¼) to set a collegiate record.

Johnson Set 1500 MR After Thrilling Duel
June 8, 2019

Sinclaire Johnson set a meet record in the 1500 of 4:05.98 at the 2019 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Johnson won an epic duel against Jessica Hull of Oregon.

Bohni Soared To Pole Vault MR In 1983
June 4, 1983

Felix Bohni set a meet record in the pole vault of 5.55m (18‑2½) at the 1983 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Bohni was one of three men to top 18 feet.

Frerichs Broke Steeplechase Records In 2016
June 11, 2016

Courtney Frerichs set a collegiate record in the steeplechase of 9:24.41 at the 2016 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Frerichs won by the second largest margin in meet history.

URI’s Black Rolled To NCAA’s 1st 10K Title
June 18, 1948

Robert Black won the first 10,000-meter title ever awarded at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1948. Black crossed the finish line in 32:13.5, 48 seconds ahead of the runner-up.