NC State’s Springs Doubles Up Distance Titles
Worth the wait.
Betty Springs of NC State won the first NCAA Division I women’s cross country title in 1981, but then missed the first women’s NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1982 with a foot injury that caused her to miss the next cross country season as well.
By the spring of 1983, Springs was back and became the first woman to sweep the 5000 and 10,000 at the same NCAA DI outdoor meet, winning both with meet records.
Springs actually set two meet records (three, if you count what she did in the semifinal of the 5000) while circling the 400-meter oval 50 times inside Robertson Stadium in Houston, Texas.
First up was the 25-lap 10,000-meter final on Wednesday evening, and Springs cruised home in 33:01.02 to win by three seconds, a margin achieved with a 67.0-second last lap. That time was second-fastest ever by a collegian at the time – and collegiate record holder Beth Farmer of Florida was one of four others under the old meet record of 33:36.51, set a year earlier in Provo.
“My plan was to sit back and let the other girls do the work and hopefully rely on my kick – and it worked,” Springs told the media afterwards.
Then came two 12½-lap, 5000-meter efforts. After a 15:57.66 MR in the semifinal on Thursday, Springs – a native of Bradenton, Florida – went even faster in Saturday’s final, sprinting away from collegiate record holder Kathy Hayes of Oregon on the backstretch for a victory in 15:51.97 (Hayes also ducked under the old MR at 15:53.73).
The double turned out to be the final track races of Springs’ Wolfpack career, although she came back in the fall of 1983 to win a second cross country title, completing a collegiate career in which she never lost an NCAA race at any distance.
Since then, only four other women have accomplished the same-year 5000/10,000 double at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships: Stephanie Herbst of Wisconsin (1986), Amy Skieresz of Arizona (1997, 1998), Lisa Koll of Iowa State (2010) and Dominique Scott of Arkansas (2016).
Springs is now Betty Geiger, married to her coach, Rollie Geiger, who was inducted to the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame last December.
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.
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Foster Won All-Time Classic 110H In 1978
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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.
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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.