UCLA’s Boldon Bounced Back With 100 MR
Ato Boldon of UCLA had plenty of time for some sweet revenge as he entered the blocks for the 100-meter final at the 1996 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
A year earlier, Boldon had missed the NCAA 100 final due to a false start in the semifinals that he claims he never committed. Boldon, at the time, was fastest in the nation, and a first- or second-place finish would have given UCLA the team title. He made some amends, winning the NCAA 200 and finishing the summer with a bronze medal in the World Championships 100.
Entering the 1996 NCAA meet, Boldon was again the country’s – and now NCAA’s all-time – fastest at 9.93. After a wind-aided 9.97 semifinal, he rocketed away in the final to 9.92 – just 0.01 off the collegiate record and the first legal sub-10 recorded at historic Hayward Field.
Boldon won by a commanding 0.18 seconds – second-largest margin in meet history – over Kentucky’s Tim Harden. Let it be known that Harden was the man who won the 1995 NCAA title when all Boldon could do was watch from the infield.
A new PR didn’t impress Boldon, who looked forward to competing for his native Trinidad at the Atlanta Olympic Games: “This was an ugly race. Hopefully, if I can have another ugly race on the 27th of July, I’ll have a gold medal.”
Boldon didn’t win Olympic gold – but his bronze medal came in 9.90, an all-dates collegiate best that lasted until 2008. He added another bronze in the 200 and didn’t have to wait too much longer for his global gold: Boldon crossed the finish line first in the 200 at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece.
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.
Texas’ Hooker High Jumped To NCAA Glory
Destinee Hooker won three career high jump titles at the NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, including a massive victory in 2009 by more than two inches.
De Grasse Sprinted To Otherworldly Double
Andre De Grasse completed the 100-200 double at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with scorching times: 9.75 (+2.7) in the 100; 19.58 (+2.4) in the 200.
Merritt Broke Long-Standing 110H MR In 2006
Aries Merritt broke a 28-year-old meet record in the 110H when he won the crown at the 2006 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships in 13.21.
UGA’s Torrence Made NCAA History With Double
Gwen Torrence completed the 100-200 double at the 1987 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Torrence was also the first woman to finish top-8 four times in the 100.
Bayer Gave It His All For NCAA 1500 Title
Andrew Bayer won the 1500 at the 2012 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in one of the closest finishes in meet history – 0.01 seconds.
Tipton Led 1-2-3 Oregon Finish In 1964 JT
Les Tipton led the first podium sweep of any event in the history of the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships. Tipton and his Oregon teammates went 1-2-3 in the 1964 javelin.
K-State’s Jones Captured Heptathlon Crown In 2015
Akela Jones won the heptathlon at the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships with 6371 points. That is the fourth-best score in both collegiate history & meet history.
Same Athletes, Same Result For LSU At NCAAs
The LSU foursome of Bennie Brazell, Pete Coley, Robert Parham, Kelly Willie swept the 4×100 & 4×400 crowns at the 2003 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.
Martin Won Distance Titles For Two Programs
Francis (Frank) Martin made history twice in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
FSU’s Williams Soared To Jumps Double In 2009
Kim Williams swept the horizontal jumps at the 2009 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships. Williams was particularly dominant in the TJ, winning at 14.38m (47-2¼) & by nearly 2 feet.