
Merritt Broke Long-Standing 110H MR In 2006
The 28-year-old meet record in the 110-meter hurdles looked finally ready to be taken down at the 2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, California.
After all, Aries Merritt of Tennessee had run just as fast as the 13.22 MR set by Greg Foster of UCLA in 1978 with a 13.22 of his own at the recent SEC Outdoor Championships. The pair thus shared No. 2 on the all-time collegiate list behind Maryland’s Renaldo Nehemiah’s then-world record of 13.00 in 1979.
Everything seemed right until Merritt ran the third leg of the Volunteers’ second-place 4×100-meter relay team.
“He contributed mightily,” Vols coach Bill Webb told Jon Hendershott of Track & Field News. “He brought us up to 2nd [from 6th].”
“I was exhausted after the 4×1 and had no time to work on approaches,” Merritt explained to Hendershott. “I was doing drills over 30-inch hurdles again. I spent most of my time just sitting, drinking Gatorade and water and stretching.”
Less than an hour later, the hurdles final started evenly, but by the third barrier Merritt had control and began to run away with the race, crossing the line in 13.21 to take down the oldest MR on the books at the time.
Merritt’s winning margin of 0.28 seconds was – and still is – the largest in the event since Nehemiah’s gargantuan 0.64 in 1979, when he ran a wind-aided 12.91.
Afterwards Merritt was critical of himself, saying “there’s never a flawless race in the hurdles.”
Some may beg to differ. Merritt’s post-collegiate career reached its zenith 2012, when he won Olympic gold in London and a month later broke the still-standing world record of 12.80.
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.