Rollins Rewrites Hurdling History
Collegiate hurdling records learned to live in fear very quickly when Brianna Rollins (now Rollins-McNeal) stepped on the track in 2013.
After all, her very first final of the year at The Tiger Challenge in early January resulted in the still-standing collegiate record of 7.78 in the 60 Meter Hurdles. And before the 2013 outdoor season ended, Rollins had each of the three fastest indoor marks in collegiate history and each of the two fastest outdoor marks in the 100 Meter Hurdles, both of which were set in a dynamo performance at the 2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Historic Hayward Field.
Rollins entered the NCAA outdoor meet that year with her eyes fixated on completing an undefeated senior year in the sprint hurdles and etching her name atop the collegiate outdoor record book a few more times.
It didn’t take long for Rollins to do either: Try a grand total of 24.86 seconds.
On Thursday, Rollins won her semifinal heat in 12.47 (+1.2) and bettered the seven-year-old collegiate standard set by Ginnie Powell of Southern California by the slimmest of margins – 0.01 seconds (Powell ran 12.48 to win the NCAA title in 2006). That also marked a 0.07-second PR for Rollins, who had clocked a slightly wind-aided 12.54 to win the event at the Texas Relays earlier that year.
Then, on Saturday, Rollins blitzed the final and left no doubt that she was the unquestioned queen of the sprint hurdles. Rollins lowered her PR and collegiate record to 12.39 (+1.7) and won by 0.40 seconds over Kori Carter of Stanford, who had set a collegiate record of her own in the 400 Meter Hurdles the day before. That also tied Rollins with Gillian Russell of Miami (Fla.) for the largest margin of victory in meet history.
Rollins didn’t stop there, though. After the collegiate season, the future winner of The Bowerman set the American record at 12.26 to win the U.S. title and then staged an epic come-from-behind victory to win the gold medal at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
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.
O-H-I- … Oh, What A Race By Davis!
Glenn Davis of Ohio State set a WORLD RECORD in the 440 yards at the 1958 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships!
LSU Hurdle Dominance Yet To Be Matched
Tananjalyn Stanley set a meet record of 12.70 in the 100 Hurdles at the 1989 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, which jump-started LSU’s dominance in the event over the next few years.
Anchors Aweigh! Navy Wins NCAA Team Title
Back in 1945, the United States Naval Academy (Navy) won the team title at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships!
Pagel Won Shot Put With Record Heave
Ramona Pagel won the shot put at the 1985 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a meet record heave!
Eyestone Held Nothing Back At NCAAs
Ed Eyestone of BYU won three career titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, including a 5K-10K double in 1985!
Barrett Scared Long-Standing MR In 2013
Katrena Johnson set a collegiate record in the high jump at the 1985 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and led a 1-2-3 Arizona sweep!
Bell Rang True In Long Jump
Greg Bell won back-to-back long jump titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke a meet record in 1957!
Guidry Capped Legendary Career In 1991
Carlette Guidry, who won 12 NCAA titles in her career, completed the 100-200 sweep in 1991.
Stanford Romped To National Title in 1928
Stanford won the team title at the 1928 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a then-meet record score of 72 points. Eric Krenz (pictured) led the way with 18 team points.
Smith Jumped Her Way Into Elite Company
Trecia-Kaye Smith won three career titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with two of those in the long jump, another in the triple jump.