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.
Oregon’s Burleson Races To Meet’s First Sub-4 Mile
ON THIS DAY: Dyrol Burleson of Oregon recorded the first sub-4 minute mile in meet history at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Burleson finished in 3:59.8 and used a 55.2 closing lap to seal the deal.
Nebraska’s Greene Equals 100-Yard World Record
ON THIS DAY IN 1967: Charlie Greene of Nebraska equaled the world record in the 100 yards with his time of 9.1 at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Twice As Nice For Texas’ Richards In 2003
ON THIS DAY: Sanya Richards of Texas became the first freshman (man or woman) to win the 400 & double back to anchor the winning 4×400 relay team.
Hubbard Makes World History At NCAAs
ON THIS DAY: DeHart Hubbard of Michigan achieved the first ratified world record ever set at the NCAA Championships in 1925.
Barringer Caps Legendary Collegiate Career
Exactly 11 years ago, Jenny Barringer of Colorado became the first woman to win the steeplechase three times in a career at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Villanova’s Reid Completes Historic 1500-5K Double
Sheila Reid of Villanova completed the first 1500-5K double at the same NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships on June 11, 2011!
Brazier Makes History Two Laps At A Time
Donavan Brazier of Texas A&M set the collegiate record of 1:43.55 in the Men’s 800 Meters at the 2016 NCAA Track & Field Championships.
Wottle Leads Eight Men Under Four Minutes
On this day in 1973, Dave Wottle of Bowling Green led eight runners under the 4-minute barrier for the mile – just the second time such depth had occurred anywhere in the world.
Fight On! Southern California’s Historic Day
Three collegiate records in 80 minutes is what Southern California’s men’s team did ON THIS DAY back in 2018.
Holloway’s Texas Two-Step Into The Record Book
On this day in 2019, Grant Holloway of Florida broke Renaldo Nehemiah’s 40-year-old collegiate record in the Men’s 110 Hurdles.