Oregon’s Eaton Stood Alone In The Decathlon
Domination.
That’s the only way to describe Ashton Eaton’s final decathlon for Oregon.
In 2010, Eaton set a meet record of 8457 points and won by a whopping 656 points to become the first man in meet history to win three consecutive decathlon titles (Tito Steiner of BYU won three career titles, but they weren’t consecutive). The next largest winning margin in meet history is more than 300 points less!
Eaton’s senior year was filled with incredible achievements.
At the Pac-10 Championships, he scored 39¼ points by himself to lead the Ducks to the team title. Eaton won three events (the decathlon, plus the 110 Hurdles and long jump), finished runner-up in the 100 and was a member of the fourth-place 4×100 relay team.
Indoors, the native of Bend, Oregon, smashed the world record in the heptathlon with his winning 6499-point total at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Eaton won that multi by a meet-record 513 points (The next largest winning margin is also more than 300 points fewer).
He won The Bowerman in 2010 and remains the lone combined events winner.
“There’s no words for me to use to describe Ashton Eaton,” then-Oregon head coach Vin Lananna told Gary Horowitz of The Statesmen Journal in Salem, Oregon. “He’s everything you could ever want as a student, as an athlete, as an ambassador for the program.”
Eaton, of course, enjoyed a wonderful post-collegiate career, setting a since-broken decathlon world record of 9045 points and winning two Olympic gold medals.
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.